She'll Be a Fighter
by I am the hungry shark
Summary: Sequel to "She Was Meant to Kill". 2012, Izabella's senior and Klara's freshman year holds surprises for them both. As they both grow into new stages of their lives there's no telling what fate has in store. The family has to learn to take on a changing world and how they have to change along with it. Clintasha, pre and post avengers potential spoilers for agents of shield.
1. Other Side of the Door

**August 30****th**** 2012**

Klara spun around in her sister's desk chair as Izabella chattered on about how excited she was to start her senior year. Klara wasn't listening.

"Klara? Klara! Are you listening to me? I asked you if you were excited for your freshman year."

Klara stared at her sister. Deep blue eyes, perfect blood red ringlets, 93.5% average and played on 4 different teams. The captain of two. Klara sighed, one of them just had to be an overachiever.

"No, all the teacher's will expect me to be like you. I don't even look like you."

Bella rolled her eyes and dragged the 14 year old over to her mirror.

"We look exactly alike."

Klara raised her eyebrows. Bright green eyes, pin strait hair. At least the color was the same.

"We have similar features." Bella continued.

Klara sighed "Whatever. Thought of University's?"

If Bella was talking about her future she wouldn't ask Klara anything. The way the younger sister had started to like it.

"Well I would love to get into Harvard. Maybe NYU. I'd major in biomechanics, obviously."

Klara nodded, Izabella was incredibly smart. SHIELD already had a position set up for her once she graduated the school of her choice. Nobody knew if Klara was near genius like Bella. They all realized Bella's intelligence when she was in high school. So naturally the pressure is on.

"I don't understand why you didn't skip through high school. You could have graduated 2 years ago." Klara said, continuing to spin Bella's chair.

"I wanted to be with all my friends. And Kyle."

Klara sighed, she didn't want to hear about Kyle.

"Do you even love Kyle? You've never said that you've said it." Klara pressed, trying to get a rise out of her sister.

Izabella shrugged, her smiling leaving her face.

"With us it doesn't need saying."

Klara rolled her eyes and kicked the ground to spin around some more, instead the chair toppled over. With her in it.

"Is that why you dropped ballet?" Bella asked, laughing at her sister. Klara leapt to her feet.

"NO! They kicked me out cause I'm shit."

Bella frowned "Sorry."

Klara headed for the door

"Whatever, I'm better at other stuff anyway. Fighting, weapons."

"Bu you don't want to join SHIELD." Izabella stated.

Klara laughed "Hell no." she paused "When are mom and dad gonna be back anyway?"

Izabella shrugged "Later tonight, they left Germany this morning. I'm cooking dinner."

"K." Klara deadpanned, ready to leave her sister alone and contemplate the next four years. She remembered Bella going into high school. She had it all figured out. Clint and Natasha were so proud. Klara shut the door of her room and threw herself onto the bed. The room was different then Bella's who had decorated hers all in different shades of blue and white. Klara stuck with white and various shades of grey. The only things of color were posters, instruments, CD's, books overflowing on the shelves and clothes haphazardly piled into the closet. Klara's eyes slid to the case standing in the corner of her room. Her bow. She was good, far better than Bella or Natasha with it. The times she'd used a gun had gone well too. As much as her Clint and Natasha insisted they didn't care if their children worked for SHIELD. It seemed their opinion on their children and SHIELD had changed since the girls were young. When Bella said she wanted to work in bio mechanics for the agency. Clint practically jumped with joy. Klara thought it could be field work they had a problem with. She sighed, and yet all her parents do is teach her to fight, to shoot and whatever other skill's they use in their line of work. Klara reached for a sketchbook on the bedside table. Where Bella fell short, Klara excelled. The arts, aside from dance (Izabella's second passion behind science). Drama, music, writing and art itself were Klara's strong suits. She hoped she'd find something else she excelled at during high school because Klara couldn't see herself in a career involving any of her currentskills. She sighed and continued to work on a drawing of the New York skyline she'd started the day before. Annoyed with the letters on Tony Stark's tower. She could never get them perfect.

Izabella organized and re-organized her closet. It wasn't unlike her to be stressed, but it was unlike her to be uptight. Bella finished placing her jacket's in order by color and sat down on her bed. Senior year hanging over her head was either dizzying with possibilities or nauseating with anxiety. Bella hated knowing her sister wouldn't have this problem. Klara never got worried about everything. She sighed, it was occasionally problematic that everything seemed like a joke to the fourteen year old. Bella lay back on her bed. She wanted desperately to be able to talk to Klara, or talk sense into her. She was starting a new part of her life and she barely cared. Bella sighed, working hard wasn't her sister's strong suit. Bella wasn't sure what was.

The two sister's sat across from each other as they ate dinner. Bella had "cooked"

"You just warmed up left overs." Chirped Klara.

"Your hair is falling in your soup."

Klara rolled her eyes "My hair isn't long enough to... oh." She said looking down.

Bella laughed at her sister, who glared in return.

"Mom and dad should be back soon." Bella muttered. Klara nodded. Her older sister finished her soup and placed it in the sink. She frowned, what happened to her and Klara? She wondered. The two used to be inseparable, a tag-team duo. Bella would tell herself that Klara was going through that angsty early teenager faze and they'd be the sister's they once were. She glanced over at Klara draining her bowl of soup. Her green eyes on the tree's outside. Bella huffed. Maybe not.

Clint and Natasha got home to excited ad smiling girls a few hours later. The four of them stayed up to watch re runs of law and order. Klara yawned

"I'm going to waste away the rest of my night, in my computer. Don't mind me."

"In your computer?" Clint question. Mocking his daughter. Who sighed and left the room.

Bella gnawed on the inside of her lip.

"Is there something wrong with her?" she asked quietly. Natasha narrowed her eyes

"What?"

"Well like, she doesn't seem to want to talk to me. Ever." Bella said. Clint sighed

"You're both very different." He said turning off the TV. Bella nodded

"We always have been. That doesn't explain why she won't talk to me anymore."

Natasha ran her hands through her hair "Think of it this way, she's always idolized you. You've been her cool older sister who's in high school and she always told her friends about you and how smart you were. Now she's going into high school and she knows she's not you and hat she can't be you so she's stopped idolizing you. She's realized that she can't idolize her sister because she has to actually be her own person."

Clint turned to Natasha astonished "Did she tell you this?"

Natasha shrugged "That could be wrong, I read it on a parenting blog. But my point stands, she can't be you but she used to wish she could."

Bella stood up, still confused "That doesn't answer why she's stopped wanting to talk with me."

Clint sighed "When she used to be with you all the time, Klara was trying to figure out how you worked. I did it with my older brother. He seemed like some kind of superhero to me. When I was really young then everything changed and that's not the point. One day I woke up the thought 'my brother is an actual persona and so am I' I stopped being so close with him."

Bella nodded "Because you wanted to stop wanting to be him? She never wanted to be me? Did she?"

Natasha hugged her oldest daughter "All she ever did was ask you questions."

Bella sighed "Goodnight."

Clint pulled her into a hug "She'll come around eventually. Let her grow up a bit."

Bella trudged out of the room, she walked past Klara's room to hear music quietly playing. A rock band Bella couldn't recognize from the other side of the door. She reached for the handle then stopped. Klara probably didn't want to talk. As Bella began to get ready for bed she never paused to think that she never opened the door. Klara would always venture to her sister's side. Izabella refused to admit that if she wanted to really know what Klara felt, she'd have to ask.

**So short first chapter just setting up the characters and the sister's dynamic. Notice that it's the year 2012. And what happened in 2012? The Avengers, so that will happened eventually. All feedback is appreciated!**


	2. Blue Sky, Grey Sky, First Day, Bad Day

**September 4****th**** 2012**

Klara didn't want her sister to drive her back and forth from school. She didn't want people to look at her and think "oh that's Bella's sister" and she didn't want have her sister "checking up" on her throughout the day. In truth Klara didn't have many friends. She'd had two, fraternal twins. Rebecca and Florence. But they'd both gone to a boarding school in Boston. Klara had begged, and begged to follow her friends. She thought her parents would let her. Money wasn't a problem and the school was amazing. But Clint and Natasha didn't want their daughter's away from home, especially when they're 14. Apparently it's a security risk. Which Klara knows to be wrong because there are other level 7 agents who have children in schools all over the county, even the plant? Klara sighed, but nope. She couldn't cross a state line to go to a better school with her only friends. She'd spent the entire summer seething over it while Bella worked and took summer courses and did a small internship at SHIELD.

"Aren't you excited? Can I see your timetable?"

Klara sighed and dug it out of her backpack.

"English, math, drama and history on day 1. Then Science, art, gym and geography on day 2. I had something super similar."

Klara nodded "Funny seeing as I got to pick two of them and the rest are mandatory. Why is gym mandatory? Gym is stupid."

Bella turned into the school's parking lot "It's mainly the health unit. Drugs and sex ed. They make it mandatory so everyone knows it."

Klara sighed "Yay." She deadpanned as she climbed out of her sister's car.

"Do you know where your locker is? I could walk you."

Klara shook her head "I know where it is, you don't need to do that."

Bella smiled "Sure I do. And if you ever need advice-" she was cut off my Klara shutting the car door, waving and walking towards the school. Bella sighed and climbed out of her car. Instantly some fiends of her's greeted her. Klara sped up so that they wouldn't call her out, she glanced back at them for a second unfortunately causing her to ram into someone else.

"Sorry! So sorry." She said, however the person she'd bumped into didn't seem forgiving. A boy a year or two older then Klara stared down at her.

"Well go!" he shouted. Klara glared at him "No need to ask nicely." She muttered. He glowered at her

"Bitch." He huffed. Klara resisted the urge to break his nose and walked into the school. Right away she noticed she wasn't dressed like everyone else. Klara sighed, if she'd had friends this wouldn't bother her. She looked around at the other grade nine girls. Evidently dark indigo and blue plaid shirts over black shirt and shorts with some worn out bright blue converse wasn't the way to go. But at least nothing contradicted her flaming red her. She'd put it in a loose French braid, it looked nice. A couple other people had it that way, giving Klara some relief. She turned to go upstairs to her locker. Unfortunately, she learned that Bella had chosen to have her and her friend's lockers right down the hall Klara sighed and unlocked her locker. She was moving, up one floor and across the hall. As she started putting her stuff inside, a dark skinned girl with black hair falling around her shoulders practically skipped up to the locker to the left of hers. Luckily there wasn't anyone to the left because the bank of lockers ended there. Klara didn't feel like making any new friends yet so she kept her mouth shut. This girl didn't.

"Hi! First day? Same here?" she said, beaming. Klara nodded pulling out her English binder.

"English? With who? It's my first class also! I'm Ambi, by the way." She said, still smiling.

"I have Thomas, I'm Klara." She said.

"Do you know where it is? I don't understand the map." She said. Klara nodded

"Yeah, follow me." She said slamming the locker closed.

Once they got to the class Ambi said thanks and joined some of her friends.

"Alright then." Klara muttered and took a seat at the front of the class. English was one of her favourite subject. If Rebecca and Florence had been here they'd take the row of three that was right behind where Klara was sitting so they would sit together. Florence in the middle Klara on the left, Rebecca on the right. But now anymore, the seat next to Klara was still empty as the bell rang. She sighed and took out a pencil.

* * *

Bella sat in rapt attention during calculus. She was top of all her classes every year. But right now something was bothering her. Something had been bothering her since the last day of grade 11 when Kyle had said that he loved her and she'd lied and said it back. Klara didn't think they'd said it. That's how Bella wanted it. She didn't even know. Since then something had felt off, Bella knew that she cared about him but she didn't know if she loved him. She took notes and ignored the sandy blonde haired, blue eyed boy next to her. As he worked as tirelessly on the notes as she did. Bella hewed on her tongue. There's no reason she wouldn't love him. There's no reason she could explain.

* * *

As the day dragged on and lunch came around Klara wasn't sure where to go. She'd tried to instigate conversation with the people around her in both of the classes she'd just had. They'd talked for a bit sure, but Klara guessed they were just overwhelmed. Wanted to stay in their own little groups until they were comfortable in the change of school. Klara huffed. She didn't have time for everyone else to get settled. She wanted someone to talk to. Klara was first in the cafeteria line and grabbed two slices of pizza then made a beeline for the exit of the cafeteria. She knew this was where Bella spent her lunches and she didn't want her sister making her sit awkwardly with her. Klara instead went outside of the school and sat down on the empty bleachers next to the football field. She pulled her iPod out of her pocket and put in the earphones. She hoped for Christmas she'd get an IPhone. Considering Bella got a phone in 8th grade and for some reason Klara didn't. She put on Skinny Love – Bon Iver and happily chewed on her pizza alone, on the bleachers.

* * *

Bella sat and ate and laughed with her friends and boyfriend. They were all part of the same group of people so nothing was every awkward. She got up to use the bathroom and realized her sister was nowhere to be seen. She worried for a second then realized she'd probably gone to eat lunch in the art room. A lot of the art kids go eat there. She headed for the bathroom. Several grade nine girls were inside giggling. Bella sighed, Klara would hate this. She was so close with Rebecca and Florence. Bella had almost vouched for her sister, tried to convince their parents to let Klara go. Almost. But in the end she sided with her mother and father. Klara was safest at home. Klara had told Bella she wasn't upset. Bella believed her. It let her think that Klara not wanting to spend as much time with her as she used to was Klara's problem. Not Bella's.

* * *

As the day dragged on. Bella felt extremely excited about her senior year. Klara wanted to slam her head in her locker. As she walked out of school she thought about how she'd approached everyone in her classes. Nicely, with a smile and a comment about the class depending on how the person was acting at the time. How to make friends 101. She thought. Observe a person, gauge their mood then say something that corresponds with how they're feeling. She waited next to Bella's car. There was a different set of classes tomorrow. Klara sighed. She hoped it would be better. She car unlocked as Bella walked across the parking lot. Hand in hand with Kyle. The two kissed and he raced off to join his own friends. Klara climbed into the car and immediately put in her earphones. She didn't want to talk to Bella. Klara knew if Bella had sided with her over boarding school. She'd be there now. Bella stared at her sister gazing out the window, she frowned and started the car.

* * *

After a silent ride home Clint and Natasha waited eagerly for their daughters. For two of the world's best spies they were completely clueless. They both believed Klara had forgiven them. The fourteen year old was putting on a good show, even Klara admitted that. She'd try again next year if she wasn't happy with the way things had turned out in New York. Klara thought they'd give it a chance. Deep down she knew they wouldn't. As the two of them came inside. Bella smiling and Klara glowering, she yanked her earbuds out. Before either parents could open their mouths Klara spoke

"Should have sent me to boarding with Becca and Flo. Then I wouldn't have to deal with people ignoring me trying to talk to them or brush me off. And you'll say maybe it will bet better tomorrow. But I don't care, I'd rather be in a different state." She spat. Then spun on her heel and ran upstairs. Bella looked astonished.

"She idolized me? Realized she can't be me? She wants to leave." She said and stomped up the stairs. Clint and Natasha sighed

"I'll take Klara." She said. Clint nodded.

* * *

Klara sat on the bench in her windowsill staring at the trees outside, earbuds in.

"Klara."

She saw in mother come in, sighing she took the buds out of her ears.

"Come to explain to me again that staying here is for my own good? That I'm safer here. Better off with my family? You can stop that now, I don't care." Klara said, her voice and face void of emotion. Clint and Natasha hadn't taught Klara this, she'd learned it on her own.

"You're a natural at acting like you're not feeling anything. That's not a good thing."

"I'm not acting." Klara replied "I begged. And cried and screamed. They were my only friends and they're at a better school with in fact higher security and nobody thinks I'm going to be Izabella 2.0. They wanted me to come. It would have been perfect."

Natasha sighed "Remember what happened when we sent you to camp? Izabella tried boarding school for grade 9. You know what happened. You know what happens whenever you two aren't here. Right under SHIELD protection. Every time one of you has been taken or hurt or stalked."

Klara glowered at her mother "I won't be under SHIELD protection forever. I have no intention on working for SHIELD or being in any way connected to it. I have no intention as being known as the Black Widow's daughter forever."

Natasha crouched down in front of her "I know that. But you know the kind of world we live in. For god's sake. Tony Stark has decided that playing at being a hero is for him. I had to go undercover and everything."

"That's your job. Not gonna be mine."

Natasha smiled sadly. "I know. That's how we want it for you two. If I could control Bella she wouldn't be lining up a career with SHIELD. But she's so dead set on it. I can't stop her."

Klara scoffed "SHEILD isn't what you want for us? You've always been so goddamn impressed with Bella. Where were you when I got kicked out of dance? Praising Bella for winning some stupid medal. You wouldn't stop Bella from doing anything. She's as close to perfect as someone can get."

Natasha reached to brush some hair out of her daughters face. Who pushed her hand away and did it herself.

"You're that close to perfect to Klara."

Klara turned back to the window "Then shouldn't you be letting me do whatever I want? Like you do with Bella?" she provoked.

"Klara Taylor Barton you know that's not how your father and I treat you."

Klara stood up "First step in raising a bitter hateful child is denying the way they feel or feel they have been treated."

Natasha grabbed her daughter's hand "Tell me then. I don't understand kids. Never did. Help me."

Klara grabbed her backpack "I have homework and a desire to make you understand how to not make your own children bitter. Treat them the same."

Natasha watched her daughter flip open her binder and start work on math problems.

"Everything I do. There's a reason, it's because we love you."

Klara clucked her tongue "I don't come to conclusions without evidence. Maybe do something nice for me. Or do you even know what I like?" she said not looked up from the page.

"I love you Klara." Natasha said now braced against the doorway

"Prove it."

* * *

Meanwhile Clint was consoling a very teary eyed Izabella.

"Why does she hate me? She avoided me all school? She's barely spoken to me ALL SUMMER!" she cried, Clint rubbed his daughters back

"She's angry no one let her go to that school."

Bella huffed "She doesn't t get it! She's selfish! She can't understand that there's a bigger picture."

Clint sighed "She'd 14."

Bella scowled "I understood at 14. Why can't she get it? It's all a joke to her? The kidnappings, the threats? They don't scare her! In Venice, she was 12 and all she did was patronize the red room agents. Mock them, mouth off. Got her leg broken and shoulder dislocated." She said, a bitter edge to her voice.

"It's in her nature. I do it. It's her way of standing up for herself, being brave."

"It's a way, of getting herself killed! Not to mention she didn't have nightmares, PTSD. I do!" she said, now sobbing, make up running down her face. Clint hugged his daughter tighter.

"I don't know how Klara deals with it. What's important is that she is. I'm worried about you right now."

Bella clutched her father "I just want her to be my sister again! She doesn't understand that I couldn't have sided with her. Let her go. I was keeping her safe! She'd just so thick headed!" she said, the anger returning.

"Those smart comments? I only make them when I'm with your mother. Or another agent. It keeps them busy. Away from the other person. Venice? She might not have been thinking about doing it but she was keeping you safe."

Bella rolled her dark blue eyes "So? She should still be able to understand that she can't go live in another state and she shouldn't be isolating herself from us? It's not fair all we've done is protect her. Help her. Does she listen, ever? No. She never wanted to be like me dad. She would have tried."

Clint put his hands on Bella shoulders "Kid, she's just a younger kid. Cut her some slack. She sees the world differently then you. You like to see a lot of good in it. You like to see blue in a grey sky. Klara? She knows it's there but she likes to point out the bad. The corruption, oppression. Things like that. When you want to be something you work hard and you do it. Klara wouldn't do that. She looks at herself like the grey sky. It's grey and that's how it is and she's happy like that. She might want to be a blue sky. But she knows that if the colors aren't there she can't change them. She's not you and she knows that now. She's fine with that now. She just wants to figure out who she is and where she stands. She wants to do it herself."

"What if she needs help?" Bella asked. Wiping tears off her face "She won't ask. Klara wants to do everything herself. It's like when she fell off her bike and didn't tell anyone. So what she thought was a sprain was a break. Now her wrist cracks whenever she moves it because she didn't ask for help."

Clint hugged Bella again "Klara doesn't care that her wrist cracks. When it happened you tripped going to help her and she asked you if you were okay."

"She didn't answer me when I asked."

Clint smiled sadly "Izabella. She would have lied."

**Please note I checked spelling and grammar but I didn't read it over. (It's super late at night). All comments are hugely appreciated. **


	3. Feeling Guilty

**I have this head cannon where Steve was awake for a while before the avengers because they never said any different (in the movies). Sorry for the wait I was on break and in Florida, no laptop and I had a lot of work to catch up on.**

September 30 2012

The month of September was horrible for Klara. No friends and barely speaking to her family. Bella on the other hand had a great month until she realized her hatred for the color blue. Now normally it was one of her favorite colors. Blue was the color of her eyes, the sky and the sea. Many of her clothes were blue. But blue was horrible when it was on a pregnancy test. She regretted it, she knew she would. At the time it seemed like the right things to do. In the moment she wasn't thinking. Now she was she'd been sitting on her bathroom floor thinking for almost an hour. She couldn't tell her parents. What would they say? She could barely speak to Klara. Bu the 14 year old would know what to do, what to say. Klara Taylor Barton was impulsive, reckless and at time obnoxious but she was wise beyond her years. Bella tried not to sob so that no one came to check on her. If Klara was in her position she'd probably laugh it off and deal with it. Bella knew one thing. No one can know, not even Kyle. She wasn't keeping it, obviously. Bella had no trouble coming to that conclusion and accepting it. But how wold she accomplish an abortion without her parents finding out? She was on their health plan. Bella was practically a genius but scheming, finding loopholes and manipulation wasn't something she was good at. Natasha had tried teaching her, with no success. Bella got up off the floor and wrapped the test in toilet paper then put it into an empty box of pads then threw it into the trash which she would take out herself later. Klara. She'd have to tell Klara. Her younger sister could easily find a way around their parent's healthcare plan. Bella sighed.

"I need my own doctor for this shit." She muttered and left her room.

* * *

Klara spun aimlessly in her desk chair, Paramore's Brand New Eyes album blaring. Bella burst into her room. Klara frowned and turned off the music. She was about to ask her sister to walk out and knock but Bella looked like she was about to have a nervous breakdown.

"What's wrong with you?" Klara asked. She was half worried and half amused. It wasn't often Bella was seen stressed or anxious. Whenever she was you could tell. She organized things, but Klara never saw it on her sister's face. Bella was silent, she shut Klara's door and turned the music back on. Louder than it was. Klara watched in confusion as Bella grabbed two pads of sticky notes off of Klara's desk and handed one to Klara. Then tossed a pen at her younger sister. Klara reached to turn down the blaring music. Bella shook her head, glaring at Klara.

"Funny ignorance is falling on now deaf ears." Klara mumbled. Bella didn't hear her. She started writing on her sticky note.

_I'm pregnant and very irresponsible and stupid._

Klara stared blankly, her eyes flicking back and forth between the note and Bella's now bright red face. She was torn between hysterically laughing and yelling at Bella. Klara didn't know much about birth control considering right now they were covering drugs in the health portion of gym. Sex Ed was in November. So she kept a straight face and wrote back.

_Why don't we just text?_

Bella looked as though Klara had just cracked the Da Vinci code and pulled out her phone. Klara immediately texted her sister.

_**Dude wat.**_

_Klara THIS IS NOT A DUDE WAT SITUATION HELP ME!_

_**Do I look like a gynecologist? No I look like a 14 year old. Go to an abortion clinic or something.**_

_HOW DO I WORK AROUND MOM'S HEALTH PLAN!?_

_**Do you listen to the school announcements? A health nurse comes in every Friday and it's confidential. She'll make you an appointment and lecture you on birth control then you go and it's all over. Calm your shit.**_

_DO NOT TELL ME TO CALM MY SHIT THIS IS CRISIS!_

_**I JUST GAVE YOU A GODDAMN SOLUTION! Also I agree, stupid move sis. **_

_Lecture me laterrrrrrrrrr. _

_**But like you don't even love him that much. Like dude wat.**_

I DON'T KNOW I WANED T SEE IF I DID OR COULD RO SOMETHING!

_**Ro? Haha typo.**_

_TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY._

_**If you don't love him you should end it cause that not cool dude.**_

_STOP CALLING ME DUDE_

_**Fine. Brah.**_

Bella glowered at her sister.

_IS EVERYTHING A JOKE TO YOU?_

_**Funny things are. Just step back, look on the Brightside.**_

_WHAT BRIGHTSIDE_

_**You can no longer be used for virgin sacrifices. **_

_OH MY GOD._

Klara smirked.

_**Tomorrow is literally Friday. Just go. When your appointment comes I'll even chill in the Starbucks across the street and wait for you. You can say we're shopping. And we could actually go shopping. Lie beforehand. I think you feel sick after.**_

Bella shut off the music.

"Fine. Good plan. No one will know?"

Klara shrugged "Talk to the lady. I don't know, they say confidential I assume it goes on your medical records."

"SHHHHH" Bella said. Klara frowned

"No one's home."

Bella was furious "You couldn't have mentioned that before I blasted your music or had to text you my problems!"

Klara cackled "Go have a breakdown I have an English essay."

* * *

Dinner that evening was awkward. Clint and Natasha were perfectly normal. Klara was to, or at least was acting like her sister wasn't pregnant very well. Bella was jittery and paranoid they'd somehow know. Klara couldn't stop smirking into her pasta.

"How's Kyle?" Natasha asked absent mindedly. Bella dropped her fork on the floor. She picked it up and slammed her head on the table. Clint winced

"Okay kid?"

Bella snapped back up "Okay? Why wouldn't I be okay? I'm fine. Kyle's fine. We're fine." She said. She reached for the salad and knocked over Klara's water.

"Pull yourself together." She mumbled. Natasha smiled at Klara.

"You and I are going away this weekend." She said. Klara glanced up from her garlic bread.

"What? Where? Why?"

Bella frowned "Why aren't I coming?" she looked very offended. Clint raised his eyebrows.

"Because you've been pouring over a test that's next week for days. Nat figured you'd want to hole up in your room and swallow your physics textbook."

Bella bit into her bread onto her tongue, she cringed.

"Right yeah. If you'd asked me I would have refused actually."

Klara stared at her mother "What? Where? Why?"

Natasha smirked "It's a surprise." Clint mimicked Natasha's grin.

Klara sighed "K whatever. What do I bring?"

"There's the spirit!" Bella chimed in with, smiling overly sweet at her younger sister.

* * *

The day of the week were stressful for both girls. Klara still had no luck making friends and Bella wanted to not be pregnant. However she got her appointment away from her parents prying eyes and now had to wait three weeks. Apparently those clinics were busy. Klara on the other hand did not like the idea of going on a mysterious weekend getaway with her mother. But on Friday as soon as she got home from school Natasha tossed Klara her small duffle bag and bow then led her right back into the Garage.

"Where are we going?" Klara whined, sick of being kept in the dark

"The helicarrier." Natasha deadpanned.

* * *

Bella had been there once, when she was in her freshman year also. Klara had never gone. Not that she remembered, though she'd seen plenty of SHIELD bases. And hospitals. It wasn't Klara's fault she'd needed a liver transplant when she was 8. The family doesn't talk about it. But the helicarrier was a new adventure. Klara figured she'd spend the weekend by herself while her mother worked. As soon as she stepped onto a SHIELD base people would ran at her with missions, consults or research. It was fine because Klara would love to spend the weekend alone on the helicarrier. Klara was silent on the drive to the SHIELD base, her duffle bag at her feet. Natasha was speaking with Coulson on blue tooth, when she hung up.

"I meant to bring Bella to, but I guess she's busy. There's someone very interesting at SHIELD that you may encounter. Don't force conversation on him, he's been asleep for 70 years."

Klara stared at her mother as they pulled into the SHIELD base wear they'd be flying to the helicarrier.

"What? Who?"

Natasha smirked "Captain Steve Rogers. He's on the helicarrier for physical and mental evaluation. He can't escape it if he has a breakdown and tried. At least not easily."

Klara nodded "I'm guessing I'll just know him I see him?"

Natasha nodded "I think you will."

* * *

Klara hated flying. It made her claustrophobic, it made her sick and her hurt her ears. Even the short trip up the Helicarrier made her miserable. AS Klara expected as soon as thy boarding Natasha had to leave to consult a few other agents about their mission. She gave Klara a guest key card with a room. Which meant she could go to the gym (though gym is an understatement), cafeteria and her room. Klara sighed, Clint would take her to the New York base and let her use his arrows. When he did this he'd usually slip up and let her use his card, letting her look at all the lab equipment. But Natasha was careful, so Klara didn't stand around. She headed down to her room and dropped off her bad then headed to the gym. If anyone questioned her being allowed to use the practice arrows she'd say her name and smirk.

* * *

Steve Rogers had seen some unusual things but when a girl who couldn't be older than 15 walked into the training facility of the world's top security organization, he was very confused. His first thought was that they had taken to recruiting minors. The thought sickened and enraged him. But the young girl didn't look like an agent who had a very specific dress code. Either their SHIELD uniform, a black suit or black, dark blue of grey clothing. The girl was wearing aquamarine jeans, a grey t-shirt, a tan jacket and boots. She didn't look like she belonged, other than the case she held and the key card pinned to her shirt. She walked straight passed him and the punching bags, not bothering to give Steve a glance and set the case down the tables in front of the target range. Then left into the armoury. Steve abandoned the task of wrapping his hands as he waited for the young girl to come out of the room. The teenager walked back over to the target range with a quiver full of arrows and a tray of throwing knives. Steve frowned, this organization had children as agents? This wasn't right. Steve knew he couldn't just go talk to the kid, he shouldn't disturb them. But why was she using a bow and arrow? She notched then arrow and drew her bow. Steve watched in awe as he hit the dummy right where the heart would be then instantly drew another arrow hitting the dummy in the next than another arrow into his head. She stopped and looked at the dummy. Steve was impressed by the girl's skill, but he still didn't understand why she was training like this in the first place. Children shouldn't be soldiers or spies. Not in the 40's and not now. Steve walked over to her.

"Do you work here?" he asked. She set her bow down and turned to Steve.

"No. My parents do."

* * *

Klara stared at him, she was sure this was Steve Rogers. Captain America. But she wasn't going to say anything, what if she was wrong? He nodded. Klara raised her eyebrows

"I agree turning children into spies is sickening. That doesn't mean people don't do it."

She said thinking about her mother and the still active, still hanging over her head. Red room. The man who she assumed was Steve Rogers didn't say anything and instead glanced down at the bow.

"I've never heard of anyone using a bow in combat. Not in the 20th century."

Klara smirked, this was sooo Steve Rogers "21st century, and clearly you haven't seen my father. World's greatest marksmen. Well he calls himself that. I don't think there's ever been a real study and technically this organization doesn't exist, so I don't suppose they could just go rounding up snipers to compete with each other." Klara said, notching an arrow and drawing her bow. She hit the heart of the target again, going straight through the other arrow. Steve nodded

"I'm Steve Rogers." He held out is hands. Klara shook it

"Klara Barton."

Steve was surprised she didn't say anything along the lines of 'how's this century treating you?' or 'OH MY GOD CAPTAIN AMERICA! I WROTE ABOUT YOU FOR MY SCHOOL"S HISTORY ESSAY'. Klara didn't she instead, set her bow down and picked up a knife.

"My mother taught me this." She said before launching the knife strait into the dummy's chest. Steve took a step back, he wasn't expecting her to seize a knife and throw it.

"How old are you?" he asked, still astonished by her skill.

"14. My sister's 17. She's the one that want's to work here. Not doing this. Bio mechanics and science and stuff." She muttered, pulling her hair back into a pony tail and picking up her bow again.

"Bio mechanics like building weapons?" Steve asked, he was told this was an organization striving for peace. He thought maybe Klara had a less bias opinion.

Klara smirked "Of mass destruction? Doesn't sound like Bella. I told her once she shouldn't work here. She thinks she'll just get to be a scientist. Not a weapons designer. Silly little Bella."

Klara said bitterly. Steve furrowed his brow "You think she'll be making weapons?"

Klara shrugged "What do I know? I'm 14. I just know what I've managed to learn via dishonest means."

Steve raised his eyebrows, Klara huffed "I don't like this topic of conversation. Ask me about something else. The cafeteria spaghetti is not good, if all the food is the same SHIELD wide anyway. Really not good. If that's all they're serving go hungry. Don't eat it ever."

Steve nodded "I'll remember that. Anything you recommend?"

Klara thought for a moment "The pizza, cake and tacos are good. But I'm pretty sure actual Mexican tacos are soft shell so they're not actually tacos."

Before Steve could reply two SHIELD agents walked into the gym. The woman with a very pointed nose and tight bun glared at Klara.

"There are no children allowed in here. Go."

Klara raised an eyebrow "Tell that to my mother. She works here."

The man with her scoffed "We're level 6 agents I'm sure we outrank her. High level agents don't have children. They get in the way."

Klara burst out laughing.

"You. Don't. Outrank. The. Black. Widow." She said through her laugh. The woman frowned and went into the armoury, the man followed her in. Klara put her bow back into its case and left the quiver and knives on the table. Steve was glaring at the man and woman who'd just left the room. Klara frowned

"High level agents don't have children. They get in the way." She grumbled. While waving Steve goodbye and leaving the gym. To the one place other than her room she could hangout. The cafeteria.

Klara wasn't hungry. Put people did more than eat in here. Paper work, eat and gossip where the cafeteria's main functions. Sometimes people would fight each other, but that was usually caused by the gossip. Once last year Bella and Klara witness a man and a woman fight each other over the same woman. The fight was broken up by said woman who dumped both of them. Klara thinks the man transferred to Beijing. She looked around for her mother but she wasn't there. Maria Hill was sitting alone across the Cafeteria sipping on coffee. Klara debated going to sit with her but decided against it.

"Kids don't get in the way." Klara mumbled.

* * *

Klara frowned she and Bella were barely involved in their parents work lives. There's no possible way they were getting in the way of them. Saving lives or taking out bad people or whatever they do. Although the two girls knew that their parents no longer went on missions together and that if one of them died the other one would retire so that Bella and Klara weren't left without parents. They knew that a lot of the big stuff one of them was offered, the saving the world taking down dangerous organizations single-handedly stuff, Clint and Natasha would turn down in favour of less life threatening more covert missions. So that they were around for their kids. They stopped going in without extraction plans and without backup nearby. Klara put her head in her hands. She and Bella weren't getting in the way but they changed how their parents worked and which lives they save. Klara shouldn't feel guilty, but the 14 year old watched the other agents in the large room feeling guilty.


	4. 10 Minutes

**So I fucked up the date again, I wasn't thinking it's not 2012 yet I am so sorry. This was later than anticipated all my teachers simultaneously screwed me over.**

October 15th 2011

Bella sat in the clinic hiding behind a magazine whenever the door opened. She hadn't told anyone, Klara was the only one who know. But it would be over soon and she'd never have to think about it. No one would have to know, especially not her parents. Bella had had several anxiety attacks over if they ever found out. In truth it probably wouldn't have been that bad, a lecture about responsibility and grounded for a very long time. But Bella had fears they would eviscerate her, which wasn't true. When her name was called she practically jumped out of her seat. A smiling woman waved her inside, luckily no question were asked and no one questioned her. Probably because of her age. When it was over, she was told to rest, to call if she found anything abnormal. As soon as she stepped outside she spotted Klara in a Starbucks across the street sipping on hot chocolate. She waved her sister across the street into the Starbucks. Bell expected her to ask how it went, that seemed like the sort of thing Klara would do. But she didn't, maybe she was more grown up then she thought.

"I'd avoid having sex until you know what the heck you're doing." Klara deadpanned before returning to her drink. Bella sighed, that was more like it.

* * *

One thing Bella refused to admit about herself is that she was a terrible liar, and for that reason she stuck to life's may rules and didn't understand why someone wouldn't. So when they got back to their home and Clint asked casually what they'd been up to Bella was thankful Klara jumped at the chance to say they'd gone to the book store but hadn't bought anything. Klara then went into a rant about poorly written female characters as Bella slipped upstairs away from her father to do some serious soul searching. She still couldn't figure out the exact reason she decided to have sex, and be irresponsible about it. If there was one thing she was not its irresponsible. There wasn't any pressure, if there was she wouldn't have punched him hard and left. There wasn't any great desire either. There was nothing wrong with him, he loved her she should love him. Bella frowned, they'd been together nearly two years isn't it time she loved him? She bit her tongue was she even attracted to him?

"KLARA!" she shouted. She heard her sister groan and run up the stairs then burst into her room.

"WHAAAATTT!" she shouted. Bella winced, she was developing a stress induced headache and that didn't help.

"Am I attracted to Kyle? You notice things like that."

Klara rolled her eyes "What an excellent time to question that Bella." Klara muttered while closing the door.

"It's not my place to tell you who to make out with. I just judge you quietly, alone in my room. With no friends. Seriously, how can nobody like me? I'm great, this is just impossible."

Bella frowned "I'm having a crisis, we are talking about ME!"

Klara sighed "You're serious? Attracted how? I've talked to the guy, he's a good guy. Romantically? You've been together for like forever I mean…" Klara trailed off eyeing her sister.

"You've been together forever and this is your last year of school and you don't want to coordinate your future so you don't lie him anymore." Klara offered with a shrug. Bella shook her head and sat up.

"I don't think that's it. Part of it maybe. I'm not good at this like you I'm not all intuitive and blunt."

Klara stared at Bella then clucked her tongue "This seems like the kind of thing you should sort out by yourself." She mumbled and stood up. Klara paused in the doorframe

"Hey, I met Captain America." She said with a smirk before dashing out of Bella's room.

* * *

October 17th 2011

The following Monday went exceptionally badly for both girls. Klara got in a fight. She didn't start the fight, but she did finish it. It been over a month since school started and she was fed up with not being able to make any friends. That norming on the car ride to school Bella said "Maybe if you'd expanded your circle in middle circle from Becca and Flo you wouldn't be in your position." Klara wanted to reply with 'Maybe if you hadn't had sex you wouldn't be a paranoid basket case about people finding out about your abortion' but she held her tongue. In fact she held silence until the end of lunch. Klara had hoped that the stereotypical steals your lunch money, shoves you in locker bully didn't exist. Apparently it did and he was very vocal. It was the same kid she'd run into on accident on her first day. He decided it would be fun to point out to the entire grade 9 and 10 lunch period that Klara didn't have any friends, Klara retaliated by saying

"Can I point out your bloody nose?" Then punching him, not hard enough to break it but hard enough to make him leave her alone. However what happened next made Klara think Bella might be right about her being a little impulsive because she now how detention for an hour after school. For the entire week. Klara figured she was going to be very lectured by her entire family and possibly Coulson before Clint gave her a sly smile and recounted a story of how he did something similar at her age. But Klara didn't make it home that night. As soon as the last bell ended Klara texted her sister

_**Have detention for an hour, wait maybe?**_

_OH MY GOD NO! DETENTION? WHAT! YOU ARE WALKING!_

Klara tried convincing her sister but she needed to turn her phone off. Apparently it hadn't occurred to either girls that they weren't alone walking anywhere alone for a reason. It had been so long without an incident or a threat that the girls had basically forgotten about the red room. Constantly hanging over their heads. Bella had to stay at school for an extra 50 minutes so realistically she could have waited but decided this was the right way to punish her sister so she didn't. By the time Bella got home Klara already started her trek home.

* * *

"YOU LET HER GO HOME ALONE!" Natasha screamed as Clint came running down the stairs

"Bella what the hell were you thinking?" he said in an eerily calm voice.

"She got detention, I figured she'd screw off during it and she would need some time to reflect on" Natasha cut her off by grabbing Bella's car keys and tossing them to Clint.

"Call her and get the car ready. She then disappeared into a rom off the kitchen. Bella stood there shocked as her father ran into the garage. Natasha reappeared holding two hand guns and several magazines

"Lock up, stay put." She ordered before going into the garage and slamming the door behind her.

"Anything?" Natasha asked as they pulled out of the driveway. Clint looked somber, "Keeps going to voicemail. Where do you want to start?"

Natasha clenched her fits "Subway station closest to the school."

Clint nodded and handed his phone to Natasha "Keep calling."

Natasha sighed "Just like last time."

* * *

_The girls were 8 and almost 12. At this point they both went to the same school and they were playing outside waiting for their parents. Normally there were SHIELD agent's watching them but when both of the level 5 agents turned up dead 3 days after it the girls disappeared it was obvious what had happened. Bella and Klara were on the swings when a man came from behind and grabbed the chains stopping them. Bella grabbed Klara's hand and started pulling her away but they didn't run very far before a needle was slipped into each of their necks and bags were yanked over their heads._

* * *

The abduction was the reason Klara needed a liver transplant, the drugs that had been used to render and keep them unconscious were being used in the same dosage for each girl. Bella being 12 and bigger than Klara could take it, she bounced back quickly. Klara didn't.

* * *

Klara wasn't clear on what happened but now there was a bag on her head, a gad in her mouth and her head hurt like hell. She tried to move her arms and legs to find them bound. Klara's heart sped up and panic started to set in her first thought was, 'Fuck you Bella'. She couldn't hear anything around her. No voices or movement, but then whatever she was in lurched and someone near her grunted. Maybe the driver, she powered her head toward what must be the floor of a car and listened for the hum of the wheels. Thankfully it was there meaning she wasn't on a plane yet. Klara considered calling on of her parents for a ride when she got out of detention but she really didn't want to endure the car ride so she'd opted not to call. She regretted that now. The car or van stopped. 'Shit' she thought. Her throat tightened and she could feel her hands shaking, if Klara tried to stand up her knees wouldn't hold her weight. A door opened and she felt herself being seized by the shoulders and lifted out of whatever she was in. Klara kicked out, she collided with what she hoped was someone's head. Someone else retaliated by slamming their fist into her stomach knocking the air out of her lungs. After a moment of struggling to move she was tossed quite uncomfortably into what she figured what a trunk of a car. Klara tried to find where the taillight might be and kick it out but she couldn't see and it was hard to breathe under the cloth bag on her head. Klara laid back, as soon as this bag was off her head she was ready to fight.

* * *

Agent's Coulson, Hill and May were assigned to the case. Natasha and Clint were allowed on since it as their child that was mission but instead of trying to keep them away Fury let them hover and provide intel. Natasha was furious with Bella, Clint remained calm.

"It was stupid but even after what happened to her when she 12 Iza never really grasped the danger she's in."

Natasha huffed "Why didn't Klara call us?"

Clint smirked "To let us know she had detention because she punched someone? There's a reason she punched them and she doesn't want us to know. The kid probably had it coming."

Natasha surveyed the agents work. They making sure no flights commercial or private left New York and were monitoring all flights going into Russia.

"It's not gonna be enough." Clint said. Natasha frowned

"What are you going to do? Go full out Budapest?"

Clint smiled "Steal a jet and go out on my own mission. Maybe." Despite his smile his voice was solemn. Natasha stared at the screens.

"Should we get suited up?" she whispered to him. He gave her a brief nod and the two agents left the command deck of the Helicarrier.

* * *

Bella hadn't heard from her parents or anyone. The house was on lockdown and she was alone in it. The last time something had happened to Klara she'd been there to try and keep her safe. 'A lot of good I did this time' she thought. Klara would probably try and tell her it wasn't her fault. 'Maybe if I wasn't so bent on making sure she turns out okay. Klara's fine, I'm the basket case' she told herself. Even when Bella was home alone the house seemed livelier but the steel that was now drawn over all the windows kept what was left of the fading daylight out and Bella hadn't bothered to turn on any lights, it was dead silent and dark. But even in the dark she knew her family was okay, but now it seemed like the house had grown cold.

* * *

When Clint and Natasha took off no one threatened to shoot them out of the sky, which was odd. But word travelled fast and anyone with an ounce of sense knew better than to mess with the Black Widow and Hawkeye, much less their children.

Nat we don't know where we are going, where Klara will be. We don't even know if it was the red room. Tasha."

She stared straight ahead "It's them Clint, you know it's them."

Clint nodded "Yeah." He muttered.

There were more minutes of silence between them until Clint turned to her again.

"Are you okay?"

Natasha frowned "There's only so much use the red room could get out of an 8 year old. She's 14, they're going to be using different tactics she'll be more heavily guarded. It's going to be harder this time."

Clint clenched his jaw, he knew what they did with teenage girls. His knuckles tightened around the steering wheel of the jet. That wasn't happening to his daughter.

* * *

Klara had never realized how much she hated tight spaces until she'd spent what she assumed was over an hour in the trunk of a car. Wouldn't it make sense if she were getting tossed onto a plane right now? The red room was based in Russia and they take young girls and turn them into master seductress's/ assassins and they usually kill themselves when they're 19. That was the extent of Klara's knowledge and it wasn't much. Bella had mentioned in passing that they had bases in major cities in Europe. How an organization like that managed to stay under the radar of the law Klara couldn't understand, but most people don't know SHIELD exists maybe it wasn't that hard. As of now Klara's panic had subsided, she was proud of herself she hadn't screamed or cried yet. She was holding out because a part of her hoped this wasn't the red room, other people who hated her parents but not the red room. Klara realized she was fresh out of luck on that front when the trunk opened and the bag was ripped off her head. Two very beautiful but very threatening teenage girls yanked her out of the car. Klara was sure she'd heard a man driving the first car she was in. But the gender of her kidnappers was the least of her problems. Both girls looked terrified and Klara's heart began to race all over again. Natasha never told her girls how the mind control worked, maybe they knew what they were doing and they couldn't stop. Or maybe they were doing this out of fear. The one to Klara's right with stringy blonde hair and had tears welling in her piercing blue eyes. The darer skinned girl with pin straight black hair to Klara's left looked somber but panicked nonetheless. Klara struggled against the cloth wrapped around her head keeping her from talking. The blonde glanced at her "sorry" she mouth and pulled a Taser form inside her jacket and brought it to the back of Klara's neck.

"MMMMM!" Klara protested before her vision blurred and her world went black.

* * *

When Bella had panic attacks she threw up, she envied that Klara didn't have the same reaction. It was the third time in the past hour, at this point she was just dry heaving. No one had called her yet and she hated waiting. As bad as the consequences of leaving the house might be, the wrath of her parents or being hunted by what could be the red room she couldn't just do nothing. BY now someone had probably flown to Russia, but what if that's not where Klara was headed? She walked across her room to her laptop. Engineering in general was what she was good at, robotics, chemical and computer. She thought for the longest time that she would work in biomechanics she'd begun to rethink that decision in favor of mechanical engineering or weapons design. SHIELD was always in need of weapons design and robotics to her was fascinating. She had never old any of her family but Tony Stark was her idol. Not that she'd ever say that out loud considering her mother had met him and didn't have many good things to say. Unbeknownst to her parents had developed quiet the skill in computer hacking, one might think that she would never do such a thing because of how much she liked to lay by the rules. Bella's logic was as long as she didn't change anything or see something she wasn't supposed to she wasn't breaking the rules she liked to follow. Hacking New York Subway security systems? Not a problem, completely harmless. She tapped away on her computer ignoring the buzzing of her phone, she glanced over. It was Kyle, she normally would have answered, and she always answered but not in life or death situations. As soon as she found the footage for around 4:15 that day she waited for Klara to come bounding down the subway steps, right on cue she did and was immediately ambushed by two men, the camera never caught their faces. That was the point, people like this knew what they were doing. Bella sighed and watched sister's head get slammed on the wall and dragged away. Bella's eyes burned. If she had bothered to wait the extra ten minutes this wouldn't have happened. Instead of Klara being god knows where and her parents AWOL looking for her they'd be getting ready for dinner. The difference a few minutes can make.


	5. It's Barton

**I should point out that IDGAF about the cannon ages. In this Natasha's like in her mid-30's cause that's the only way everyone's ages work (the kids and Natasha's age at the beginning) and Clint's a few years older. Just clearing up. Also changed my pen mane or whatever.**

October 18 2011

Klara was woken by a hard slap in the face. Her mouth was still gagged but for a change of pace she was tied to a chair. Immediately she started to panic and tears formed in her eyes. The man standing above her smiled.

"You look much like your mother." He said under a thick Russian accent. Klara struggled against the ropes, but to no avail. She had a rough idea of how to get out of this, she'd seen it done. Clint would tie Natasha to a chair and she'd get out then they'd swap. Klara had never been able to get out Natasha's way by standing up and breaking it. She been able to lean backwards and break it by slamming backwards onto the floor but she'd also knocked herself out. Klara stayed silent, mainly due to the gag in her mouth but she also couldn't think of anything to say. Her eyes darted around the room and the man laughed and took the gag off her mouth, Klara greeted him by spitting at him but he just kept laughing.

"Any idea where you are Klara Romanova?" he asked, Klara glared.

"It's Barton." She stuttered, she didn't want him to know she was scared, but the tears in her eyes and her voice were betraying her.

"Ah yes another one of my girls who adores that man." He said bitterly. Klara frowned

"I'm not your girl."

He hit her again "дать ему время милая" (Give it time sweetheart). Klara spat at him again, no one called her sweetheart, not ever.

* * *

As soon as Clint and Natasha touched down in Russia SHIELD contacted them to inform them that Klara was not in that country, in fact she was still in New York. The organization had set up a base outside the city, it was run down and not well guarded but it was there. Natasha fired the clip of her gun into the frozen ground at her feet. Clint grabbed her

"Tasha." He soothed. She kicked at the ground "This was stupid, this is stupid and wrong and we knew it. We weren't thinking. I wasn't thinking!" she screamed, scaring a nearby flock of birds. Clint kept hold around her as she continued kicking at the dirt. Clint looked around, the woods seemed dead, barren. There was a gravel road to their right. Natasha tried to get out of Clint's arms and it took all his strength to keep her there.

"Clint we have to go! I wasn't thinking clearly, I wasn't thinking like a spy I was thinking like a mother. WE HAVE TO GO!" he clasped his hand over her mouth.

"Nat shut up." She elbowed him in the stomach but still he held onto her. She bit his hand.

"Nat, we're here. They have girls here, and how much do you want to bet whoever is running this hellhole is with our daughter which isn't here. Nat I want to get Klara and I want her now but she's across the world there are girls here now. Girls like you, going through the same thing." He whispered. This calmed Natasha down, girls like her. She stopped struggling against Clint, he let go of her. She went back onto the jet and reloaded her gun and turned on the Tasers in her wrists, Clint notched an arrow.

"Girls like me." Natasha said quietly. Clint nodded. "We should call in some backup." Natasha raised an eyebrow "Really? That could get us all killed." he smiled

"I was kidding."

* * *

Bella sat in the lobby of Stark tower. She shouldn't be there, she shouldn't have left the house but the building was open this late and it was busy. It calmed her down, she always liked the way it was designed. This wasn't the first time she'd just sat here either. Once every two weeks since she was about 15, since Iron Man made an appearance. She hoped that he'd just happen to be in the lobby of his building. She buried her face into her hands. Once every two weeks.

"I'm a groupie." She uttered. She couldn't do anything for Klara, not now so why not sit in Stark tower with her calculus homework? She heard the clicking of heels across the lobby and a small scream, Bella's had snapped up. She recognized the woman, Pepper Potts. She was the CEO of Stark Industries and she was staring at Bella like she'd seen a ghost.

"Natalie?"

Bella's eyes widened "Oh no, not me."

Pepper looked shocked "Sorry you look like someone I knew, the resemblance is she turned out to be… anyway."

Bella nodded "Weird, well I'll be going." She said while rooting around for her mother's car keys.

"Are you related to a Natalie Rushman?" Pepper pressed. She knew Natalie was really a spy but Bella's resemblance was unnerving her. Bella frowned, she knew that had been her mother's alias.

"Nope, don't know her." She lied horribly while shoving her textbook back into her bag. She began out towards the door.

"Big fan by the way." Bella said, just as the door behind Pepper opened and Tony Stark came out.

"Oh god you." He said, Pepper shook her head. Bella stood there frozen. Her mother was in her 30's. Bella was turning 18, she couldn't look that much like her. But Natasha did look younger than she was. Bella stared at Stark.

"Love what you've done with the arc reactor." She stuttered and backed out of the building practically tripping over her own feet.

* * *

Klara never got the chance to get out of the chair because she'd been moved into what used to be an office with bars on the window and locked door. Which probably had a guard outside of it. Klara searched the room for something she could pick the lock with but it was clean and she didn't have anything on her either. Klara vowed to always have a least one bobby pin, Bella did. She managed to break the window, but what she really managed to do was injure her hands. At least she had something resembling a weapon. Klara was fully prepared to use it against anyone she encountered, she knew her effort would be futile but she could say she tried. Her chance came when the girl who'd tased her came inside Klara lunged at her with the shard of glass, the girl was taken by surprise but she was bigger, stronger and more skilled then Klara. The glass was knocked from her hand in a second, she got a kick in before being shoved into a bookshelf. Klara got right back to her feet, the girl aimed a kick at Klara's stomach who grabbed her leg and threw her onto the ground. The girl tried to get to her feet back Klara kicked her back down, then in the head. The blond lay hopefully unconscious, Klara didn't think the alternative was possible. She knelt down and took the taser from her jacket pocket. Mildly surprised she didn't have a more lethal weapon. Klara knew there weren't any security camera's which was nice. She held the taser out in front of her like she would a gun and looked around, no one had heard anything that or this is what they wanted. Klara settled with whoever else was here remained oblivious to her escape and searched for an exit.

* * *

Natasha hoped Clint was right about Ivan not being at the compound because he would have taken his best guards and a few of the older girls with him. Getting over the barbed wire topped fence and into the compound wasn't hard. It was what to do next that required some thought. The obvious choice were the dorms, although they were more like nicely decorated prison cells. This early in the morning that's where the girls would be. Next was how to handle the situation without anyone dying. Clint frowned

"They'll shoot at us first."

Natasha checked her guns and glanced over at Clint then at the long low grey building that function or at least it used to function as the 'dorms'. Natasha nodded and they sprinted for the door.

Getting in was easy since it was unlocked and so was taking out the first few guards that came at them, the others were smart and ran. Clint took after them but Natasha stopped him. Hey heard stirring inside each room Natasha tentatively opened the first door. There was a girl standing there in clothes that were least 3 sizes too big for her holding a pen out as a weapon. She was older then Klara, maybe about 16. Her black hair fell just past her shoulders and dark eyes studied Natasha. The girl's eyes and hair contrasted her sickly pale skin.

"Natalia Romanova." Natasha said. The girl's eyes widened

"They told us you were dead." She said with a thick German accent. In Natasha's time all the girls had been Russian she was surprised that had changed. Natasha held out her hand

"We're here to save you." She said, the girl grabbed her hand. Clint was having less luck, the girl he had tossed a table lamp at him and screeched she didn't need saving in Russian. Natasha felt sick, the girl Clint was trying to coax out of her room couldn't be older then Klara, Natasha looked away and turned to the next door, they'd probably been born in the same year. Clint opted put her into a sleeper hold and carried her over her shoulder. She'd had the same look in her eyes Natasha had when she was going through withdrawal. He'd never wanted to see it again, much less on a 14 year old.

"Is here any identification anywhere?" he asked while opening another door.

"In the office." Natasha answered, surprised she remembered everything.

The next two girls were perfectly compliant. A blue eyed girl with mouse brown hair and a hazel eyed girl with bright orange hair. The brunette was around 15 and the redhead looked about Bella's age. The last girl they could find looked much healthier than the others which meant she hadn't been there long. She had olive skin, dark brown hair and dark green eyes, she was young. 11 or 12.

"There should be more." Natasha said.

"Other countries." The girl with blue eyes muttered. Clint grimaced.

"This is a lot bigger then it was 20 years ago."

Natasha frowned and turned to the girls. She pointed to the two oldest the redhead and the first girl.

"Carry her." She pointed to the unconscious blond hanging over Clint's shoulder.

"There's a jet, get in and strap her down. Understand?" Natasha asked, the 15 year old nodded. The two oldest took the blonde from Clint, Natasha sighed and handed one of her guns to the 15 year old.

"Break the lock on the fence, go down the road you'll see it."

The girl nodded and led the others out the door. Other guards never came.

"That's weird." He said drawing his bow. Natasha shook her head "Not if there's other bases, if these were the only girls…" she trailed off.

"There should be a brick building behind this one it's the 'hospital' there could be girl in there. I'll get their identities from the office." Natasha ordered. She'd stopped thinking as a mother and started thinking like that Black Widow. Clint ran out of the building his bow raised. And Natasha made a beeline for the opposite exit.

* * *

Bella tried and tried to get some sleep but to no avail, she was sure she wouldn't be going into school the next morning. She expected someone from SHIELD to call but I was likely chaos, especially if someone found out she broke her lockdown. Bella smiled, she'd seen Tony Stark. She'd always admired his work but within the first few weeks of her senior year she'd changed her ambitions. Besides she was only 17, if she knew what she wanted to do with herself. Great, if not who cared? Thinking about the future was usually Bella's distraction but tonight she couldn't stop stressing over Klara not having one. If something happened to her Bella didn't know what she'd do. She wanted to call SHIELD, but even you are one of their best agent's kid you can't just call them. Right on cue the phone rang. Bella leapt to her feet and lunged for it.

"Hello?"

"This is Agent May, we are commencing a rescue operation shortly is there anything you'd like to know?"

"How'd you find her?"

"Traffic cameras, cell phones Intel we already had."

"Where is she?" Bella asked frantically.

"Just outside the city. Are you safe?" May asked.

"Of course I'm safe, just save my sister!" Bella demanded.

"We'll do everything we can." Said May and then she hung up.

Bella tossed her phone onto her bed and curled up under the covers, Agent May hadn't said anything about her parents.

* * *

Klara's brief escape didn't last long "I thought I'd be kind to you." The man who was obviously in charge had told her as she was bound and gagged all over again. The cuts on her hand stung but not as much as the welt on her face from being hit. Klara looked up pleadingly at the two girls, one had a very large bruise on her face and a fresh cut on her forehead, the other was very jittery. Both of them ignored her. Klara felt tears roll down her cheeks as she was hoisted to her feet and dragged outside. There was a van up ahead of her. Klara struggled, she wasn't getting in that van. She could see New York in the distance, Klara would not be leaving the state. She went limp, making it harder to drag her. The one girl groaned and tightened her grip on Klara's arm. Klara threw herself to the side knocking the blonde over and rolled away from them. Klara kept rolling and waited for them to come get her but they didn't. Klara glanced at them, the blonde slammed the brunette's head onto the van, and Klara kept rolling then she heard a sickening crack. Klara looked back again, the brunette lay limp on the ground. Klara shuddered, the blonde had snapped the other girl's neck. The blonde got into the van and drove away following a black SUV that had left in the other direction. Klara lay on the ground gagged, bound and completely confused. She'd probably saved Klara's life and would pay for it, likely with her life. Klara thought about the blonde coming to the room she was being kept in. There wasn't any reason for her to be there, the cut on her forehead had likely been punishment. Klara hadn't done it and it wasn't there before she'd escaped. Klara sighed the best she could with her mouth gagged. All she'd wanted to do was help her and Klara had kicked her in the head. Now she was left with the dilemma of cutting the ropes.

* * *

The Red Room's infirmary might have been the most terrifying room Clint had ever seen, and he'd seen a lot. The walls were stained with stained with blood that had suck into the paint, the entire place smelled like bleach and there were surgical instruments on the table's that Clint would have first guessed to be torture devices. In a sense, they were. Worst was the fridge, filled with vials and pills Clint couldn't recognize. Except two, there was more of them than anything else. Large syringes full of an ice blue liquid. He knew it doubled as a drug that supressed free will but worst of all, it was addictive. Made people malleable. Easy to bend to someone else's will, person A say's jump, person B asks how high. The next came in the form of pill, it altered a person's memory and their perception of reality, also addictive. The two pills combined made for one hell of a recovery, something Clint never wanted to see anyone go through again. He thought of the girls who were hopefully by now on the jet, some of them would have to through the same hell Natasha did, a few of them could have it easier. But all of them were terrified, all of them were abused, all of them were warped. He grabbed everything he could for analysis and searched the room for anything else of use. Finding nothing he ran from the building in search of Natasha.

* * *

Natasha grabbed every file she could find, locations of bases, employees, the girls. It was her life's mission to take down the red room. Natasha wasn't going to stop, these files could give her what she needed. Natasha had ever been able to track the red room because they never had anything to go on except for one base in Russia that never appeared active. The red room must have figured out how to get past SHIELD surveillance, this unnerved Natasha because when she'd been there the Red Room had never been able to evade SHIELD. The agency picked a time to take out Natasha and they did, well Clint was supposed to. She searched the room for anything else, bank records and receipts. Anything that could tell her more about what they were doing. If anything had changed. She found nothing, which was unusual. Everything was off, the guards running away, the only thing in this room being files. As if no one used it.

"Nat. The girls are in the jet, ready to go?" Clint's voice sounded in her ear. She stood in front of the barren desk in the office. It was surreal to her. She used to stand here, terrified, receiving orders from a man she'd been conditioned to call her father. When he was the farthest thing from.

"Yeah. I'm done here." She replied, and slowly turned on her heel and left the building.

As Natasha crossed the deserted compound she thought back to almost 18 years ago when Bella was born. There were moments in Natasha's pregnancy were she regretted it. Regretted bringing a child into a world where she'd never be safe. And as she watched Bella grow older it hurt her even more. She never spoke about it with Clint. There were times when she debated finding a better home for Bella, a safer life. Natasha knew they were always being watched. That's what stopped the idea in the back of her was never voiced. She'd be safer under the protection of SHIELD. Then Klara happened. And she thought about it less, until the girls were taken. And Natasha knew she could still do it. No matter how wrong it was. SHIELD couldn't protect the girls the way they needed to be protected, up until now Natasha hadn't been vigorously training the girls, especially Bella. Klara liked to practice archery more than anything else. As she left the compound she vowed to train her girls the way they should be. SHIELD couldn't protect them. They'd have to protect themselves.

* * *

Klara never thought she'd be related to see Agent May, the woman had always been indifferent to her but now she was unbound and in the backseat of an armoured SHIELD car being driven by her. Klara knew she never went out into the field. The Agents were quiet and the cars never left formation. Klara was bleeding in several different places and there were shards of glass in her hand. But everything was so quiet, so serious. She decided to keep her mouth shut. Agent May glanced behind her, for a moment Klara swore she looked worried but the agent became stoic once more. Klara sat up and turned around, at first nothing seemed wrong until she noticed another black car, not SHIELD.

"They're braver then I thought." May muttered before slamming on the acceleration. Every car did the same. But they weren't fast enough to evade a second Red room vehicle coming straight off a side road and into the driver side of the car. Klara May and the other agent screamed. Before everything went black.


	6. I Promise

**I saw age of ultron and I honestly don't know how to feel. I loved the movie and what they did with Clint and his farm (being vague for those who haven't seen it) but Natasha was OOC (although I think I write her OOC but im a hypocrite) and her screen time was kind of wasted on that thing with that person. But I really liked the movie and the twins. It's my firm belief that what happened there isn't permanent (movie contract stuff, he signed on for more I think not including TWS cameo). Also Clint is mostly deaf and they should have addressed it (like I will very soon).**

October 19th 2011

Klara awoke to a sobbing Bella right next to her hospital bed. Right as she laid eyes on her sister she felt a surge of anger. Not anger, rage. But she pushed it back. Sometimes she got angry and said things she'd come to regret. The truth but still regrets. Bella did the same things, but it took a lot to get her angry enough to do it. Klara stared at the wall behind her sister's head who'd just realized Klara was awake.

"Oh god Klary, I'm so sorry. I didn't think." She was cut off by her sobs.

'Obviously not' Klara thought "Don't call me Klary I hate that." She said instead. Bella sniffed

"You liked it when you were little."

Klara sighed and balled her fists into the bed sheets. She was now aware of a horrible ache in her left side and right side of her head. "I'm not little anymore am I?" she asked, her voice was stoic. Klara knew Bella would beat herself up over this for a long time. There was no reason for her to do it. But she wanted to. She wanted to yell at Bella for being so obsessed with Klara being as perfect as she was, she wanted to call her a hypocrite for spending the entire summer telling Klara it wouldn't be safe for her to go to boarding school then thinking it was okay to let her walk home alone. She stared at the wall behind her sister and clenched her fists as Bella cried.

* * *

She could tell Klara was angry, enraged even. Why wouldn't she be? 'I could have gotten her killed' Bella thought 'you almost did' a nasty voice in her head that sounded an awful lot like Klara said. Bella buried her face in her hand, but what provoked Klara to be acting so strangely? Trying to follow her friends to boarding school, being so distant with everyone, punching a kid? It wasn't like her. Not the Klara she knew, but maybe. Bella thought. She didn't really know her that well at all. They were very different, no denying that, and they were at completely different stages in heir life. Klara starting high school, Bella about to finish. Bella watched her sister stare straight past her into Klara's own world. She noticed the rift, he thought she could fix out. But how? Bella sighed, what had been going through her head when she decided to punish Klara? She's alone, she's trying and she must feel so alone. Bella hung her head, Klara had to understand she thought she was acting for the best? It was stupid, it was a stupid mistake. Bella's thoughts drifted away from Klara and to herself. Or the absence of herself. The irresponsibility with a boy she wasn't sure she loved, changing the career she'd been dead set on pursuing, letting Klara be alone just because of what? Her pride in being the more mature, responsible sister? Bella clenched her fists in her hair. Of course she was more mature and responsible, Klara was 14. Klara was fourteen and whenever something happened she got the short end of the stick. Bella looked back up at her stoic sister. There's a reason she'd not completely freaking out, it's because she's used to bullshit like this.

* * *

Klara's eyes flickered for a moment to Bella. She wanted her to leave, but you can't just say that to someone who thinks they almost got you killed (which they did). But Klara thought of all the times she'd done things that hypothetically could have put Bella in this hospital bed. That had made Bella feel guilty. Once when she was 12 she and Bella were in a mall and Klara really wanted to go into HMV and look at the movies, Bella said no. Klara waited for Bella to take a moment to look at a dress she wanted and ran off to HMV. Unfortunately she'd gotten lost in the mall and at this point in her life she didn't have a cell phone. So Klara was lost in the mall and wasn't that worried about it until she realized Bella would be freaking out and Clint and Natasha were meant to pick them up soon and were probably also freaking out. Klara didn't think they'd be upset with Bella, turns out they were. Though Klara especially seeing as she broke the only real rule the family had. Don't go alone without a weapon. Klara broke this rule more than people realized.

* * *

Clint and Natasha were both enraged and terrified. Klara was out of the woods, though neither of them were clear on whether she'd really been in them. The five girls they'd rescued from the red room were on a SHIELD base in the hospital. Receiving them same treatment Natasha did. Very tight restraints and two heavily armed guards per girl ready to jump into action at the drop of a hat. SHIELD made the mistake of doing neither of these things they're first encounter with Natasha or Natalia as she was called then. Big mistake.

"Klara's awake. Hasn't asked about us. Neither of our girls have." Natasha said.

"What do we do?" Clint asked.

"About them? Well I want to know how Klara managed to hide the fact that she hadn't made any friends from us. She's a 14 year old girl, not a spy." Natasha said, staring at the young girls in the hospital ward. Each separated by a curtain.

"What were you capable of at 14?"

"Has Klara been trained to be a killer?"

"Have we been teaching her anything else? Or Bella."

Natasha clenched her jaw "We're teaching them defense."

"Tasha we don't defend ourselves, we're the offense. The spies, the liars and the killers. We don't teach defense. We're just teaching them to do what we do in a different context."

"When did you realize this because I hadn't thought about it." Natasha said, getting angry.

"On the flight back. Our girls know how to start fights not stop them and run. Bella has an idea when not to fight which is nice but did we ever teach them different?"

"Shit." Natasha muttered "Well what do we do, neither of us know how to be teenage girls let alone raise one. Bella's about to be an adult Klara's still just a kid. And these girls? What's gonna happen to them? They're young, younger then I was, most of them."

Clint sighed "I don't know, let's. Let's focus on our kids for now."

Natasha turned away from the girls in the hospital. "Let's."

* * *

Eventually Bella left Klara's room. She couldn't take her sister staring through her. Who knows what she was thinking about? She ran into her parents on the way out. Bella didn't say a word. She couldn't tell if they were still upset with her and frankly she didn't care. Bella took up residence alone in a closet, it wasn't like her not to care what other people thought of her. But what did it really matter? She pulled out her phone, she had missed calls and unread texts form her friends, she rubbed her eyes. Bella had been awake for too long to deal with this. Were these people even her friends? They were Kyle's group of friends Bella had attached herself to two years ago. For Bella's freshman and half of her sophomore year she'd been the stereotypical dork. She had a few very close friends who were just like her. They didn't talk anymore. Kyle showed up halfway through sophomore year and made friends easily, to Bella's surprise he took interest in her. Next thing she knew his friends were her friends and the people who genuinely cared about her had drifted away. Bella started to cry again, did she even love her boyfriend? Her friends? The people she could always count on were her family and Klara had been pushing her older sister away for months. Klara stared at her phone, she wasn't impulsive or unpredictable or spontaneous. She dialed Kyle, he deserved someone who actually loved him. Someone he'd find in university or after. When she dialed him however he didn't pick up. Probably because he was in class. Bella hung up. 'What the fuck am I thinking?' she thought 'Breaking up over phone, I'm trash. Over tired trash.' She shut her phone off, to prevent herself from doing anything else stupid. Bella slumped against the wall, what was going on with her?

* * *

Klara listened to Clint and Natasha recount what happened in Russia then listened to them scold her for going alone. The rage Klara felt towards Bella hadn't gone away on the contrary it had heightened.

"What happens when we grow up?" she said in a deadly calm voice. "What happens when Bella goes to University next September? What happens if want to go on an exchange? Have you thought this shit through? We won't live with you forever!" She said, her voice getting louder.

Natasha opened her mouth but Klara cut her off "I'm not going to join SHIELD so that I can always be protected. Bella might but that's the last thing I want to do, SHIELD seems a bit overbearing. And you two have made it clear that's the last thing you want us to do, for reasons that haven't really been explained. So what is it? What is it you want?! We can't live our lives attached to each other, to you two. I won't!" She yelled. Clint made a move to sit on her bed, Klara glared at him.

"We're thinking about it. We've been teaching you what we know."

Klara frowned "SO?! I actually have some questions about what happened to me. LIKE WHAT THE FUCK IS THE RED ROOM? YOU TALK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME AND HOW BIG A DEAL IT IS, WHAT IS IT?"

Natasha looked away from her daughter, Bella knew they'd told Bella when she was twelve. After she and Klara had been taken. At the same time Natasha and Clint had explained what they truly did for SHIELD.

"There's a conversation we need to have, about that. About what SHIELD does, what we do."

Klara watched her mother intently, the tiny wavers in her voice. Natasha's head turned away. Clint looked down at the floor.

"You've never explained. Does Bella know?"

Natasha nodded. Klara scoffed "Yay! Bella knows all the family secrets! I don't care what SHIELD does or what you do. I care that it's getting me kidnapped and that I was defenceless. You've been teaching me all this ninja shit and I don't think I really know how to use it. There's no conversation to have. Just keep me safe, that's your job." She said, looking away from her parents. Klara was lot angrier then she thought. At Bella, at SHIELD, at the Red Room (whatever it was) and at her parents. She wasn't sure if her anger was rational and she didn't care. Even irrational anger made people think about what they've done. Whether that was a good or bad thing didn't matter to Klara.

* * *

Within a week Klara was out of the hospital, which was good news. But her teachers continued to punish her and she continued to spend all her time alone. Klara and Bella hadn't spoken since the hospital. But Bella to found herself alone. She'd broken up with her boyfriend and his friends which were her 'friends' wouldn't talk to her. This would be the perfect time for reconciliation but Klara avoided her sister like the plague and Bella didn't know how to talk to her younger sister. Clint and Natasha tried to force it but to no avail. They had begun re-teaching the girls defense. Running them through scenarios, but they couldn't get them to do anything with each other. Things were quiet and solemn in the Barton household and Clint and Natasha weren't having it. Saturday afternoon Clint knocked on Klara's door.

"Come in." she said, her voice monotonous. Clint smiled sadly at his youngest daughter.

"You look so much like your mother." He said quietly. Klara stared at her laptop.

"That's what he said." She muttered. Clint nodded.

"I figured. Do you know who that was?"

"I don't want to." Klara said quietly. Clint nodded "Okay." He gestured towards the end of her bed. "Can I sit?"

Klara shrugged "Whatever."

"You can't not talk to Izzy forever."

Klara raised her eyebrows "Do have a consistent nickname for her because the entire world calls her Bella. And not forever, until I'm not angry."

Clint sighed "Are you still angry at me for when I didn't let you join martial arts classes when you were 11 because you'd hurt everyone."

Klara thought for a moment "Yes because I know how not to hurt people. That guy I punched I could have broken his nose. But I didn't."

Clint frowned "About that did you really have to hit him."

"No but I couldn't yell at him either. He asked very loudly why I didn't have any friends then continued to taunt me but what could I say? I didn't have an answer. Also he's not getting into any trouble for embarrassing me in front of all the freshman's and sophomore's. Which is probably blatant misogyny."

Clint nodded "I ca talk to the school, get him in some shit."

Klara shook her head "Everyone would hear about it and I don't need that. People sort of look at me like a lunatic now so…" she trailed off and her eyes drifted to the window. Clint followed her gaze.

"We should go to the farm. I used to take you there all the time. It's where I taught you how to shoot."

Klara smiled slightly "Remember when I we were playing baseball with Bell and she told you to duck but you didn't tell you'd taken your hearing aids out and mom looked like she was ready to kill you."

Clint laughed "I do recall yes. Just us, if you can miss Friday and Monday next week of school then we'll have a long weekend. It'll be fun."

Klara watched the wind ruffle the leaves outside her window. It had been a long time since she'd had any fun.

* * *

Bella was crying into Natasha's shoulder. She wouldn't tell Natasha about what happened with her and Kyle, only that they broke up. Hopefully that secret would never come out. But she felt so guilty, about siding with Clint and Natasha about Klara going away to school, about not being able to protect Klara when they were children and about the events that had just taken place. 'Why was Klara always getting hurt by my mistakes?' she thought. Natasha consoled her daughter

"It wasn't your fault. You can't blame yourself for this. You were doing what you thought was best. We all make bad calls in judgement, sometimes people get hurt. We have to learn to get past it. It'll take Klara a while but she will and this won't happen again. I promise." She said into her Bella's ear. Bella leaned back to look her mother in the eye.

"You promise?"

Natasha hated to make a promise she wasn't sure she could keep, but nonetheless.

"I promise."


	7. Chap 7 For Real

**January 15****th**** 2012**

Klara woke up with a bussing in her ears. Like the crackle of electricity. Everything seemed so bright, she rubbed her eyes. When she pulled her hands away she almost screamed. Sparks, not from a fire but electrical. Klara stopped herself from screaming and clenched her fists and squeezed her eyes shut.

"I'm dreaming." She muttered. And opened her eyes again. Nothing, no sparks and the light was normal. She sat up. "Weird." And walked into her bathroom. It was a Saturday which was she loved. Nowhere to be, nothing to do. Klara looked in the mirror, for the second time that morning she almost screamed. Her emerald green eyes were the same, almost. But they we ringed with bright white. Like lightning, the color spidered through her eyes the way grey did through Bella's and Clint's.

"What the actual fuck." She said. Loud enough for Irina to hear. She'd been living with the Barton/Romanoff family after she'd gotten discharged from the hospital. The oldest girl had commit suicide, the youngest was living with two married agents and the other two were still in the hospital. Irina had been in the worst condition, she was the one Clint had to subdue. But she'd bounced back relatively quickly. But there had been a few incidence in November where she'd attacked SHIELD agents. Irina ran inside, wild eyes and ready to fight. Her icy blue eyes studied Klara who frowned. It was weird seeing her clothes on someone else. But Irina didn't have anything and Klara was happy to share. She'd been with since right after Christmas and she'd fit in well, being only a few month's younger than Klara, she finally had something that resembled a friend.

"Nothing." Klara assured but Irina shook her head, making her long platinum blonde hair fall into her face.

"Your eyes, what's wrong with them." She'd said it more as a statement then a question.

"Nothing, I don't know what you're talking about." Klara lied convincingly. But much like Natasha and Clint it seemed like Irina had a lie detector built in.

"Right okay. Whatever." Her Russian accent apparent when she said "w". Irina had been trying to get rid of it. One of the SHIELD psychiatrists said it would help her recover. Klara didn't see how but she guessed it couldn't hurt. I she mastered the American accent less questions would be asked about where she came from which would help avoid painful memories. Irina turned for the door

"I should keep this between us, yes?"

"Yeah, do you want to take some clothes for the day?" Klara asked picking up her toothbrush.

"Sure but we are going shopping today. You, your sister, mother and I."

Klara nodded "I know."

"Good." With that Irina left.

Klara glared at the mirror. She and Bella still weren't on good terms. And Clint had to be someplace classified four days of the week. So he wasn't around to be their mediator. Natasha was good at talking to them individually but together? Not a chance. Klara hadn't forgiven Bella for making her go home alone and Bella hadn't forgiven Klara for being reckless enough to try.

"I figured you'd call mom or dad! Then you'd have to sit through their lectures in the car!" Bella would repeat.

"You should have known I wouldn't have done that!" Klara would always counter.

"Your stupidity is not my fault!" was the last thing Bella had said to Klara three days ago. Klara had glowered at her sister.

"Maybe you should learn responsibility." Klara had said while walking out of the conversation. To everyone else Bella was the more responsible and reasonable sibling. But they didn't know what Klara knew.

* * *

By the time Klara had left her bathroom Irina had gone into her own room. Klara looked over her clothes, Irina was good at returning them. A pair of pyjama's sat in the laundry basket. It was cold out, Klara didn't mind. She was never one for the heat anyway. Klara picked out some faded blue jeans, a dark green t-shirt, grey hoodie and threw on her black winter jacket and boots. Klara had four pairs of the same boots, they were SHIELD issue functional in any type of weather. She'd made Natasha get them for her saying she needed more pairs. Bella had some but she never wore them, she preferred style over function. Which on occasion Klara envied, her sister almost always looked fantastic. Not to mention her perfectly placed blood red curls always stood out, Bell had recently cut her hair, just above her shoulders. Natasha had gone a bit shorter than her oldest daughter, to just below her chin. Klara's hair always looked pretty much the same. Pin straight, layered and fell just below her shoulder blades. But she'd taken to braiding it out of her face and letting the rest of it fall. At least she knew how to do her makeup, well enough to make herself look intimidating. Although Klara always looked intimidating. She met with her sister, mother and Irina downstairs.

"We're gonna grab breakfast on the way." Bella said while looking through her bag for her car keys. Natasha walked over to Klara and examined her daughters face.

"What happened to your eyes? Did you wake up like that?" Natasha questioned, Klara nodded. Thankful her mother was acting like a concerned mother and not like she was interrogating Klara. Bella looked over

"Woah, it's like there's lightning inside your eyes."

Natasha leaned closer, Klara stepped back. "Ok well we've established I woke up with my eyes weird great."

Bella frowned "Are you sure you didn't put n contacts to mess with us?" she asked. Klara scoffed and opened her mouth to speak when both Natasha and Irina told them to shut up.

"I heard her this morning exclaim 'what the actual fuck' she sounded genuinely surprised." Irina imputed.

"I'm making an appointment with Marilyn." Natasha said. Klara raised an eyebrow "Why? She's not an optometrist."

"She'll know one." Natasha said and rested her hand on Klara's shoulder. Klara stared at it while Natasha turned her head to Bella

"Keys?"

The older girl nodded and headed out for the garage. The other three at her heels.

* * *

No one wanted to take the car as New York traffic was horrible most of the time but they didn't want to carry their stuff through the subway either so, they were stuck. The four of them ate breakfast in the food court before taking Irina into any store they could think of. Normally Klara loved the mall, she loved people watching, trying on clothes and she always bought a soft pretzel. But not today, both Natasha and Bella noticed but Bella didn't feel inclined to do anything about it. If Klara refused to forgive her sister for what she believed was the right thing then Bella wasn't going to try and rebuild the bridge. Klara had shut out her sister, why should she fight her way back in?

"Klara." Natasha said "Let's go get you a pretzel."

Klara shook her head "I'm not that hungry."

Natasha stood up "Come on."

Klara sighed "Yeah whatever." And followed her mother across the food court.

"You're off. And you and Bella have been off for months but not you." She stated. Klara shrugged, her eyes, the sparks and the crackling in her ears. The sound had come back, it wasn't bothersome but she noticed it. The hum of electricity around her.

"Didn't sleep well. I miss dad. It's weird that he's going back and forth all the time." She said. Equivocation, she thought. Tell the truth to deceive. Natasha knew her daughter wasn't telling her the whole truth but she also knew she wouldn't have luck getting it out of her in line for a snack.

"I get it. Bella's been feeling the same way." she paused "You know, you have to forgive her eventually." Natasha added.

"No I don't. Because next time there's an issue she'd going to side with you. She won't think about how I might feel or what might happen to me. She never does." Klara snapped while her mother ordered her a pretzel.

"You aren't without blame either here. You know that. You aren't one to think about how your actions affect your sister. All she does is worry about you and you make it hard for her. You've always done things that are a bit over your head."

Klara angrily bit into her pretzel "Name one time I've done that." She said, her voice muffled by the food.

"You thought you could beat 3 teenagers at Rugby when you were 11, you thought you could hold your breath for 40 seconds, and you knew you couldn't. You picked a fight with a SHIELD agent when you were 13 because you said you could beat her and most recently you decided to see I you could fit inside a locker and first you can't, secondly since October you're claustrophobic."

Klara remembered the feeling of being inside the trunk of a car.

"Valid points." She muttered and stalked back over to the table.

* * *

Meanwhile Irina was trying to figure out what was wrong with the sisters.

"She's just insufferable, she can't listen or sit still! Have you noticed that she'd always bouncing her leg or something? Haven't you seen that? She thinks she'd better at everything she does then she really is and is always trying to show people up. Once I had entered a race and was so excited to do well but Klara entered the same race in a younger division just so she could beat me. What does she have to prove? Nothing. Klara doesn't have anything to prove." Bella huffed, Irina shrugged

"Okay." She said and sipped her drink.

"That's all you have to say about that?" Bella sked, surprised. Irina looked around the mall.

"I'm a killer Izabella, I'm the pulling of a trigger and a knife slipped between someone's ribs. I have no input on your sisterly conflict."

Bella froze, had her mother ever said something like that? Of course she had, Clint to maybe but to hear it come out of the mouth of someone younger then herself Bella wouldn't have it.

"You're not a killer."

"Murderer then, assassin. It doesn't matter it's what I am." Irina answered.

"You can change." Bella said softly.

"Someday." Irina said, twirling a plastic knife in her hands.

The ride home was awkward but it had a different air to it. Klara and Bella kept glancing over at each other and not in the "I hate you" sort of way. Bella couldn't stop thinking of what Irina had said, she didn't have a family if she did she didn't know them. That's far worse than having an unforgiving, stubborn sister. Klara was still resolved not to make the first move with her sister, Klara was still thinking about October and how easy it is to blame Bella for what happened to her. From their points of view they were being perfectly reasonable, to everyone else they were stubborn, annoying and this fight was tiresome. Clint hated coming home to daughters that barely spoke, as the next few weeks passed he watched as Klara became distant even from him and Natasha. It wasn't until Klara's fifteenth birthday when every single facade truly went to hell.

* * *

**February 14****th**** 2012**

After Klara was born Valentine's Day would never again be celebrated by the Barton-Romanoff household. It wasn't fair that the entire world was celebrating something else when it was Klara Taylor Barton's birthday. That was the way Klara saw it anyway. Bella woke up that morning and crept into her sister's room like she always did on Klara's birthday. Just because they weren't speaking doesn't mean Bella wasn't going to be the first person her sister sees on her birthday. But she wished she hadn't because she witnessed what had been happening to Klara every morning for the past month. Her hands were surrounded with sparks, they were quiet inaudible outside of Klara's bedroom. Bella then of course did the worst possible and most human thing, she screamed. She screamed bloody murder. Klara jolted up the bright white lines in her eyes glowing brighter than usual. The optometrist they'd gone to couldn't find anything wrong her eyes had simply developed an unusual color pattern, oh well. Clint had made sure to come home for his daughter's birthday so he and Natasha ran in and Irina came inside silently behind them. Not at all fazed by the sparks now audibly crackling in Klara's hands. For a moment it was like time stood still. Klara had been hiding this, it hadn't happened during the day and what was she supposed to say?

"Hey mom, hey dad so I'm coming out to you as possibly inhuman. That cool, not completely out of left field or anything? No? Good."

Klara frowned "Haven't you people heard of knocking?"


	8. We'll Fix This

**February 14****th**** 2012**

Clint sat next to Natasha on their bed. Klara had explained this happened every morning, Bella ha locked herself away and Irina was eating breakfast.

"What do we do? We can' tell SHIELD." Natasha said. Clint shook his head.

"We can't have her on the index, that's there for everyone to see."

"But this won't stay quiet, something will happen this could get worse she could become a threat." Natasha said quietly. A threat, like she was.

"What this is, is what we need to focus on. Is it a mutation? Something the red room did? An environmental factor?" he asked. Natasha shrugged.

"Neither of us carry the mutant gene it would be in our file if we did."

Clint frowned "What about Taylor?"

Natasha turned to him "What about her? Klara is ours just because Taylor carried her doesn't mean anything."

Clint sighed "It could though, just because it's our DNA that made Klara doesn't mean they couldn't' be something else, in the womb-"Everything is shared between the carrier and the fetus." Natasha finished the sentence for him.

"If Taylor carried the gene it wouldn't been checked for, it wouldn't be on her medical records she might not even know. She has her own kids now right? How old are they, 7 and 9?" Clint asked.

"Something like that, we'll leave her out of this. Get Marilyn to run some tests off the record." Natasha stated.

"Why wouldn't she tell us?" Clint asked.

"It's not something we ever talked with them. And I thought we'd covered everything when we had the "we'll love you no matter" what speech. Should've known something like this would happen, that's just our lives."

"It's not acceptance from us." Clint huffed "It's herself if she told that would mean she's okay with it."

Natasha rubbed her temples "If Klara is afraid of this that proves she has some common sense."

"Really?" Clint asked.

"I'm just looking for a silver lining, maybe it's SHIELD she's scared of. Think about it she knows we're loyal to them but she doesn't superhuman protocol." Natasha said.

"Superhuman? You're going there? This could be anything. We need to run some tests, this could be fixable." Clint offered. Natasha raised her eyebrows

"Fixable? Like there's something to be fixed here?" she asked raising her voice. "What is that really about, Bella and Klara? I'm trying to make things better between them but it's harder when you're not here!"

Clint shook his head "Nat that's not it. What Fury has me doing right now? It's nothing we've ever dealt with. The last thing we want is a daughter who wants nothing to do with SHIELD wrapped up in it. If there's a way to fix this we should offer it to her." He said, calm as ever. Natasha studied him, he was worried anyone could see that but it wasn't just about his children, his family.

"What does Fury have you on? Just give me a rough idea. Does this have anything to do with New Mexico? Because I know all about that."

Clint nodded "Aliens are real eventually SHIELD won't be able to cover that up."

"Worlds getting to weird too fast for you isn't it? This, our kids our house it's what you come home to." Natasha said, placing her hand on Clint's shoulder.

"I'd hate to have this superhuman BS invaded my kids' lives. They deserve normality. As much as they can get."

Natasha sighed "We'll get on with her birthday the way we planned, we won't talk about this with her until tomorrow. Ake sure Bella knows that. I need to talk with Irina about something." She stood up, Clint grabbed her hand.

"Aliens, men in metal suits, unfrozen super soldiers and guys who turn very angry and very big. We're just spies Nat."

She kissed him "At least Fury scrapped the initiative. Those four might never have to meet each other."

He stood up "God I hope not."

* * *

Clint stood in front of his daughter's room "Girls I know you're hiding, its Klara's fifteenth birthday what they hell are you guys doing all alone?"

Klara opened her door, eyebrows raised, she'd showered and changed.

'You've got presents and food downstairs, I need to talk to your sister. Happy Birthday kid." Klara walked warily towards him and hugged him.

"Thanks." She muttered. Clint feigned confusion

"What was I supposed to do not show up for your birthday?" he kissed her forehead "Love you Klara."

She let go of him "Love you to."

As soon as she was down the stairs Bella opened her door

"Yes?"

He pulled his daughter into a hug. "How are you?"

"What do you mean?" she asked cautiously.

"You seem different, haven't seen you smiling as much as you used to. And we never talked about what happened with the boyfriend. I liked him to be honest."

Bella shrugged "I just didn't like him as much as I should have. And we're going different directions anyways and that was a while ago, like months."

He sat down in his daughters desk chair "We just haven't gotten a chance to talk, really talk in those months. I've been busier than usual so have you."

Bella nodded "I guess so, are we not gonna talk about…" she trailed off but she jerked her head towards Klara's room. Clint shook his head

"Not today. This and what I'm doing at work right now, everything is about to get a whole stranger. I want things here to be solid because from what I know about people like Klara or what she might be. It's not gonna be an easy road, for any of us."

Bella sighed "Right, Klara never has it easy. We've always got to worry about her."

Clint frowned "There was a time when I would have let you say that. Not today. Both of you have an interesting year so far and it won't ease up. You're not yourself, maybe its stress. Figuring out where you're gonna go after high school. Maybe it's your sudden distance from your friends. Could be Klara. Something is off kilter with both of my girls and now I know what's up with Klara. All of it, now I've just gotta figure out you."

Bella was suddenly very angry at her father. For being gone more than normal for talking to her like she was someone he could interrogate and pry secrets from.

"Figure me out? Like I'm some enemy spy? You're just watching me, waiting for a tell or me to say something to tip you off to what's going on inside my head? I understand that you're concerned but you need some more tact."

Clint sighed, he knew this act. It was defensive, it meant that Bella was hiding something. But she was right he couldn't treat her like someone he was interrogating. Clint rubbed his eyes he'd been spending far too much time in the field.

"You're right. Talk to me."

Bella frowned, she hadn't expected that. Her parents were so closed off most of the time it was easy to forget they wanted their children to be open.

"I don't have anything to say, not right now."

Clint nodded "Well, when you do I'm a phone call away. And you mother she's around. All you've gotta do is talk about anything you want."

Bella shrugged "I'll be down in a few minutes." She said, he voce was low. Clint stood up

"I love you. Come down soon."

Bella nodded "I love you to."

* * *

Bella twirled her hair around in her fingers, it was a new nervous habit. One she wasn't found of considering it was obvious and tangled her hair. Her phone buzzed, it was her new lab partner. She'd switched a few weeks ago after she couldn't take her old friend Gina giving her the silent treatment. Her new partner was a girl named Angela. She was nice, she'd moved from LA at the beginning of the year. Bell had never really noticed her though. She had dark curly hair, olive skin and dark eyes, and she went by Angie. She was shorter then Bella who grown to be taller than her mother who was 5'2. Bella was proud to stand at 5'4 but Klara was already there and wasn't finished growing yet. Angie also spoke fluent Spanish, because it was all her mother spoke. Bella was fluent also considering her attempt at learning Russian failed miserably. She couldn't get the alphabet. Most of Angie and Bella's conversations were in Spanish so that other people couldn't copy off their work in school. Bella picked up her phone.

_**Hang out later**__**? **_

_Can't, it's my sister birthday. _Bella replied.

_**K cool, see you Monday **_

Bella put her phone back down. It was nice to have someone again who wanted to hang out and be her friend but Angie's over use of smiley faces in conversation was something Bella found odd. It was similar to the way Kyle had texted her before they broke up. She didn't' dwell on it. Some people were just friendly. Bella slipped her phone into her pocket and made her way downstairs.

"Where's mom and Irina?" she asked, avoiding Klara's prying eyes.

"Talking." Clint said and raised his eyebrows and Bella then jerked his head towards her sister.

"Happy birthday Klara." Bella said with a strangled smile.

"Thanks." She muttered and sipped her orange juice.

* * *

Irina and Natasha were not talking. Natasha tried, every morning. Irina was so far the only girl stable enough to be out of the hospital but she either unwilling to talk about how the red room worked or didn't know. Irina kicked out at Natasha. It always ended up like this, they'd fight Natasha would win and Irina would stay utterly silent. It infuriated Natasha because she was different. She'd been a wreck sometimes catatonic other times all she did was scream. Like the other girls, the girls Natasha couldn't care to look at because al she saw was herself. But not Irina, she was together, unfazed and claims she's ready to step back out into the world.

"I you're okay, why do you attack me every time I ask you about them." Natasha said shoving Irina away. The teenager froze, "That's a rhetorical question!" she yelled and ran at Natasha only to be blocked and held against a wall, her back to the Black Widow.

"If I let go are you going to run at me again?"

Irina struggled against Natasha, she screamed.

"I know they programmed you differently I can see it I want to know why!" Natasha yelled over Irina's struggling. "Please Irina. I can't help you id I don't understand what you're going through." She said, her voice softened. Irina stopped and took a breath. Natasha loosened her grip. To her surprise Irina stood still.

"They didn't. They weren't the ones who programmed me."

Natasha furrowed her eyebrows "Then who did?"

Irina shook her head "I don't know, I don't know! Somebody else!" she sobbed, tears welling in her eyes. Natasha stepped back. "Okay. Thank you Irina."

Irina looked away from Natasha and headed for the stairs "I'm going to shower. I'll come downstairs later."

Natasha stood for a moment in the middle of the training room, clearing her thoughts. Who else could have brainwashed Irina? She wondered, she racked her memory but came up with nothing. She pushed the thoughts from her mind and buried them to come back to later and went upstairs to her daughter.

* * *

The table had an air of awkwardness and it didn't get any better when Irina came downstairs glowering at Natasha. Klara thanked her family for what they'd gotten her.

"Coulson and Marilyn say they have things for you." Clint said through his waffles. Klara suppressed a smile

"What time do you leave again?" Bella asked, not bothering to hide her worry. She wished she knew more about what her father was doing and what he meant by "everything is about to get a whole lot stranger" did he know about Klara earlier then he was letting on? How long had this been happening anyway. She glanced at her younger sister who was twirling an explosive tipped arrow in her fingers while she ate. Bella's eyes widened.

"Maybe you shouldn't twirl explosives at breakfast." She said quietly, Klara stopped and set it back down carefully on the table.

"Why'd you give this to me?" she asked Clint, who smirked.

"I started using trick arrows when I as fifteen why not you? And I have to be at base at 8."

Natasha looked up from her coffee "An explosive is not the same as a stink bomb." She stated absentmindedly, not fazed by the presence of a deadly weapon on the kitchen table. Irina didn't care either, she was too busy staring down her eggs. Bella bit into her toast, three ex assassins and a possible mutant were eating breakfast with her and this was normal. Bella wanted to hang out with somebody normal, maybe that was what Kyle was for. She thought still not sure why she stayed with him so long.

"What are your plans for today?" she asked her sister. Klara looked around the table.

"Uhhh I don't know." She said. Clint nudged her shoulder

"Hanging out with me, until 6 which is when I'm taking you" he pointed at Bella "Out for dinner."

Bella held her phone in her pocket "So if I wanted to work on my science project with my partner later I can?" she asked looking at Klara, who shrugged.

"Whatever. I'm going shopping online." She said glancing at the gift card from Clint she'd gotten for amazon and the one form Natasha for ITunes. Clint raised his eyebrows.

"But not after shooting stuff!" she with a thumbs up and an over exaggerated smile. Bella laughed slightly. Despite the hostility coming off of Irina who had said nothing the entire meal breakfast was almost ordinary. And afterwards Bella texted Angie saying he could in fact hang out. Bella stood in her bedroom getting organized for the day while Irina could be heard beating a pillow and Klara was leaning arrows to practice with. She smiled for once an ordinary person to hand out with.

* * *

**The Next Morning**

Klara awoke to what she'd now come to expect park in her hands and buzzing in her eyes only this time her mother stood over her with a black backpack.

"Brush your teeth put on what's inside and bring the rest with you. Meet me in my car in 15 minutes. Bring your laptop, wear the SHIELD boots."

Klara looked at her clock "It's 430 in the morning. On Sunday. Where are we going?"

"It's not your birthday anymore, so it's time to talk." She sad on her way out of the room. Klara sat up

"Shit." She muttered.

Klara pulled her hair into a mess of a French braid and brushed her teeth she opened the bag and dumped its contents out onto her floor. Black socks, jeans, sports bra, tank top, sweater and jacket. She nodded, all black, 430 in the morning. Klara sighed, typical. She put another elastic around the end of her hair and looked at what else had been inside. A bag labelled food, gloves (also black), three knives and most exciting an IPhone and charger with a note stuck to it _Has plan, sync to your computer on way_.

"Well that's nice." Klara muttered while she put everything back into the bag and her laptop. She pulled her hood up put the bag on and crept downstairs and into the garage where her mother was waiting in her car. It was a SHIELD vehicle for high level agents (seven and up) which meant it could fly. It didn't stand out as much as Coulson's car. Natasha's was a black jeep. Klara settled into the front of it while Natasha pulled out of the driveway.

"Thanks for the phone, where are we going?"

Her mother didn't answer.

"Cool that's fine. I'll just set up my phone then, or something." She said, staring at her mother. Natasha reached over to the glove compartment and pulled out a heart rate monitor for Klara's wrist.

"Put this on." She ordered.

"I'm not the hulk." Klara said, confused. But she put it on anyway.

"How often do you have nightmare?" Natasha asked. Klara tightened the monitor and stay quiet.

"Klara." Her mother said.

"Every night." She said quietly. Every night, something different. The first time was kidnapped, the second. What could have happened to her or Bella? Dreams about her parents on their missions, Klara never thought about what the injuries they came home with meant they'd gone through. But her subconscious mind loved to create situations that the Black Widow and Hawkeye had probably experienced. It terrified her. Every night something invaded her dreams but she slept still until her alarm and she'd snap awake thankful the dreams were over.

"When you get scared your heart rate goes up. You wake up every morning to what, sparks?"

Klara nodded "So I don't have control."

Natasha's grip on the steering wheel tightened. "Not yet."

* * *

Klara watched as they drove to the edge of the city and the sun rose over the river. When the car finally stopped they were in an old abandoned shipping yard.

"This used to be a jump off point into the Atlantic for SHIELD. Before the Helicarriers now it's empty." Natasha explained. Klara looked around, the freezing air bit into her face and the steely blue ocean reminded Klara of her father and sisters eyes. She looked up to the sky, over cast and grey. Maybe it would snow later. Natasha pointed to a warehouse near the edge of the water.

"That's where we're going? Why?"

Natasha started walking, her boots crunching on the snowy ground.

"Okay." Klara said and ran to catch up. The cold air burned in her lungs.

Marilyn was waiting inside dressed very similarly to Natasha and Klara. She'd set up a miniature lab and a treadmill.

"What the hell." Klara said.

"We're running to few tests so we can figure out what you are then we're going to figure out what to do."

Klara scowled "You say 'we' like you have some huge say in what happens next. Let's find out what's going on with me fine, but I get to decide what to do about it." She said with a bitter edge to her voice. Marilyn looked from Klara to Natasha "That's what I was saying." She muttered.

"You aren't able to make a decision without all the information." Natasha responded. She had no idea what SHIELD would do if they found out, the protocol on super humans is fuzzy. Something different happens to everyone depending on how SHIELD feels about them. Klara huffed

"I know about the index. I know that SHIELD wants to be in control and that if I become a threat someone will take me out. I'm not stupid. Why do you think I never mentioned this whole waking up to lightning in my hands thing?" Her voice was raising. Natasha stepped back from her daughter.

"You don't know everything Klara, even I don't. This choice isn't all yours Clint and I agree. You're still a kid."

Klara crossed her arms and her glare intensified. She was angry now, and defensive.

"Did you seriously just say that to me?!" she shouted. Coming from someone who had no say in what they became I would have thought you'd let me make my own choices!"

Natasha froze. She had never expected Klara to say something about her past. About who she was. Marilyn backed away from the two woman. Blood pounded in Klara's ears. Natasha took a breath, her daughter had no idea what she could be getting into. She had to change tactics, play off what she knew about her daughter. Which these days didn't seem like much.

"As soon as you turn 17 SHIELD could try to hire you. You never wanted to make that choice."

Klara clenched her fists. Her hands were shaking with rage. How dare her mother use that against her? Make it seemed like she cared so much about what Klara wanted. The teenager thought to herself.

"WELL IT'S MY CHOICE TO MAKE! THIS IS JUST ANOTHER PROBLEM ISN'T IT? SOMETHING ELSE I'VE GOTTEN MYSELF INTO YOU HAVE TO FIX? 'KLARA WANTS TO GO TO BOARDING SCHOOL BETTER FIX TAT AND MAKE HER STAY HERE!' 'OH NO LOOKS LIKE SHE'S NOT HAPPY AND DOESN'T HAVE ANY FRIENDS BETTER MAKE HER STAY!' 'LOOK AT THAT KLARA MAKE A MISTAKE AND GOT HERSELF KIDNAPPED'. I FEEL LIKE THATS YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS. 'KLARA IS HOLDING LIGHTNING IN HER HANDS I GUESS I BETTER FIX THIS!' IS THAT HOW YOUR BRAIN WORKS?" she screamed. Natasha was about to say something but she didn't get the chance as every light bulb in the room burst.


	9. Into the Danger

**So basically I have this theory where the x men exist in the MCU timeline but mutants never get talked about because they exist in the post Days of Future past timeline where Jean's alive (for those familiar with the X Men) and I've decided most of the mutant problems (the cure, magneto being an ass) didn't happen on the same scale. So is this story Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters exists (Klara's not going there btw)**

"_Bella! Irina! Angie!" but her voice was lost with everyone else's. They were running away from the danger like smart people. Klara stopped and people ran around her. Not people, humans. Human beings were running way because there was nothing they could do. Klara took off running towards the danger. But someone screamed her name_

"_Klara Taylor Barton!"_

_Klara whipped around it was Bella. Standing completely still in the chaos._

"_What the hell are you doing?!" Everyone had ran past the girls now, they were alone except for the sounds of destruction around them. The battle waging over their heads._

"_I can help!" Klara called out. Her sister stayed where she was, about 20 feet away._

"_No you can't! You have no control or idea what you're capable of!"_

"_But I have to try!" Klara called out, lightning formed in her hand. Bella was furious._

"_How deluded are you? You're not a superhero!" she screamed, her voice cracked. She was terrified for her sister. Of what she might end up doing, Klara could seriously hurt someone. Bella was afraid her sister didn't understand that._

"_I know! But if I can do something why shouldn't I!?"_

"_So you can run away! LIKE A NORMAL HUMAN BEING!"_

"_But I'm not normal. And I'm not human." She spat out the words, the first time she'd said them out loud. It was admitting them, she wasn't human and never really was. _

_Bella started walking towards her sister "I know that and it scares me half to death because you could hurt somebody! You could kill someone because of it!"_

_Klara felt her throat tighten "I know that, run away with everyone else. Away from the danger."_

_Bella swallowed back tears and took off running away from her sister. Klara could take care of herself, she'd have to._

* * *

**Two Day's Earlier, May 2****nd**** 2012**

The day stared like any other. Wake up and go to school. Of course the morning routine of one of the Barton girls was far from normal.

_Klara Barton's Morning Routine_

_Wake up and make sure there's no lightning in your hands and that you have your shit together._

_Go for a run, make sure your heart doesn't control it._

_Shower and have a momentary crisis over the fact that you're a mutant and that you don't want the government agency you parents work for to know._

_Brush, teeth, wash face, do hair and makeup_

_Get dressed_

_Eat._

_If you have anytime practice turning off the lights!_

_Practice electrocuting the shooting targets_

_Go to school with Bella_

_Call dad on way _

Clint didn't pick up. Which was unsettling, he always picked up. Natasha was supposed to be back from a mission in Russia in three days. But she'd been pulled off due to an emergency. Neither of the girls think anything of it, SHIELD has crisis all the time. Neither Bella nor Klara are concerned when they come home to Irina and no one else. The girls tried to phone their parents but no one was answering.

"Typical SHIELD bs." Klara muttered as she chose to make everyone watch episodes of Law &amp; Order SVU. Bella wasn't convinced.

* * *

**May 3****rd**** 2012**

"Natasha is occupied. I don't know when she'll be in touch." Coulson said.

"Dad?" Bella asked. There was silence form the other end of the line.

"Phil?" Bella pressed. Klara frowned "Coulson!" she shouted.

"Your father is unavailable at the moment."

Bella sighed "When can we talk to him?"

Irina grabbed the phone "What happened to Clint?" she asked. For a moment worry passed over her face but the emotion was quickly hidden. Bella snatched the phone back.

"Clint's fine he's just not able to come to the phone." She reassured Irina and Klara.

Coulson didn't say anything.

"Phil, where's my dad?" Klara pressed, her voice was devoid of emotion but her anxiety was written on her face.

"Your father has been compromised."

"WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN YOU ASS?!" Klara yelled, the lights surrounding them glowed brighter and the appliances in the kitchen switched on.

"Klara go turn everything off." Bella ordered. Her voice cracking. Tears welled in Bella's eyes. "Compromised? What could that even mean?' she thought.

"Phil what happened?"

"I'm can't tell you." He said. Klara slammed a cabinet "FUCK YOU!"

The TV switched on. Irina reached for the remote. "Wait I got this." Klara said as she tried to will everything off. It didn't work, but Bella was glad she was trying.

"Is he alive?" Irina asked, unfazed. Bella stared at her. She reminded her of Natasha how she was when she talked about work. Cold, calculating a true assassin. A master spy.

"As far as we know." Coulson answered. He was calm, or he sounded like it. Calm and caring like he always appeared to be. Klara kicked the couch "Fuck!" she screamed, an outlet in the wall near her sparked. Irina glared at her

"Stop it." She growled.

"Not on purpose." Klara said, raising her hands in mock defense. The popping noise from the outlet shook Bell aback to herself.

"Keep us updated." She said quietly into the phone, then hung up. She looked over to her sister.

"What do we do?"

Klara had sat down on the couch with her head in her hands. She was breathing heavily. 'Her cells have mutated on a subatomic level. Her protons and electrons have exponential capacity to absorb, create, control and release electricity. This is not something I understand or could tell you more about, as far as I know nothing like this has been seen a human being.' Is what Marilyn had said in the warehouse. Once they'd gotten around to testing Klara. 'What could she be capable of' Natasha had asked. Marilyn had looked terrified "anything that has or runs on electricity could theoretically be in her control.' 'Even lightning?' Natasha questioned. Marilyn nodded. Neither of the woman had looked at Klara when they spoke. The teenager stood still behind her mother, wondering what the hell she was supposed to do next. Klara had thought she wanted her father with her then, she definitely wanted him now.

"I don't know wait?" Klara snapped. Bella looked down at the floor then to Irina.

"Any advice?" she asked. Irina huffed

"I don't remember my parents." She deadpanned. Klara sighed, everything was off again. Granted most of it she had to turn off manually but not the TV and not the outlet that Klara was pretty sure was now broken.

"Bella can't you hack stuff?"

"What like SHIELD? I've tried." She replied. Klara gasped and held her hand dramatically over heart.

"But… that just so… ILLEAGAL."

Bella was not amused. Irina watched the exchange. They were much better now, then when she'd first met them. Bella and Klara acted like siblings instead of ex-friends.

"I can." She said.

The sisters turned to Irina.

"I think I can. I used to be able to." She was staring through the other two girls. Her eyes were glazed over, Bella and Klara had seen the look before. She was searching for a memory, something she knows she knows. They'd seen it on Natasha and they'd seen it on Irina.

"How often is SHIELD even hacked?" Klara asked. Irina snapped back into reality. Bella glared at her sister

"You have no tact." Klara rolled her eyes "I have tact when I need it." She muttered. Irina turned the TV back on and found the news. "If anything major happens this will show us."

"It will only show us what SHIELD wants the public to know." Bella sighed. Klara turned up the volume.

"Well we are good bullshit detectors are we not?"

Bella stood up "I'll get my laptop, I have some programes that could help you."

Irina shook her head "We should wait. It's getting late anyway. What will hacking SHIELD tell us?"

Klara clucked her tongue "I would like to go through some SHIELD stuff though. For like mutant purposes."

Bella clenched her fists "HOW ABOUT OUR FATHER IS GOD KNOWS WHERE PURPOSES?"

Irina was taken aback by Bella's outburst. "Calm down."

Klara took off her socks "At least when she gets ticked there's no danger of electrical fires."

Bella glowered at her sister, who shrugged "Silver lining sis."

Bella sat back down "Fine we watch the news all night but we are not hacking SHIELD. What good could come of that? We could find out something we don't wanna know. We'll stay here or go into the city."

"Umm we have to go to school." Klara reminded Bella, who twisted strands of her hair.

"No. Not while our fathers off the grid. And SHIELD's being a dick."

Klara nodded "Fair, didn't wanna go tomorrow anyway."

Irina walked over to the fridge "You never want to go."

Klara pulled her hair back into a ponytail "Whatever. I'm gonna go change then go or a run."

Bella frowned "Seriously? We should stay together!" she snapped. Klara picked at her thumbnail and stared at the outlet in the wall.

"Run is code for practice." She said quietly. Irina glowered at Klara

"That's a safety risk to everyone near you."

"She's right. What does practice mean? Test what you're capable of? That's a terrible idea." Bella said. Klara looked away from her sister's face. She looked disgusted, but Klara didn't wan to call her out on it. Why would she? She felt the same way.

"Better then turning on appliances whenever I get ticked. I can use this… I don't know what to call it without emotions I'm just honing that ability."

Bella turned away from her sister and back to the news "It's late you're not going anywhere. Electrocute things tomorrow." Bella said somberly.

Klara turned and ran upstairs.

"Was that necessary? I'm allowed to be call her out on being reckless. I'm not her sister and don't have to support her always. You do, from what I've heard." Irina said sitting down across from Bella.

"She's dangerous and we don't know how dangerous yet!" Bella said loud enough for Klara to hear.

Irina rolled her eyes "How is anyone supposed to figure that out without experimentation?"

"She should be!" Bella trailed off. Should be what? More Careful? Human? Bella buried her head in her hands. Irina watched her.

"Cry all you want, it'll be a while before I can care the way I should. She should be what? Normal? She's not. Your sister isn't human anymore. Not really."

Bela sobbed "I know but what's gonna happen? SHIELD will found out, soon if she keeps 'practicing'. Imagine what could happen to her if she gets strong enough to be a threat. I don't know what they do to people like her and I don't want to find out!"

"I doubt she does either but are so blind that you can't see that she's struggling? She woke up one morning and her life changed, a lot. And she tried to ignore it and to hide it and that didn't work. SO now she's trying to work with it and accept the fact that she's not human. Imagine that? She's literally a different species. I want you to imagine waking up and realizing you are very far from normal."

Bella stayed quiet. She didn't have to imagine it. Bella pulled out her phone and texted Angie

_**I'm ditching school tomorrow, want in?**_

_Why? Ok. But why?_

_**Personal reasons, my sister and her friend will come with.**_

_Pick me up?_

_**Yep.**_

"I'm going to bed." Irina said. Bella put the phone back into her pockets.

"Same."

* * *

Klara stared out her window. She's called everyone at SHIELD she could think of including her parents but no one answered. There was something major happening. She knew it. Klara glanced at the clock midnight. She grabbed her laptop and tried turning it on without touching out. She almost shrieked when the computer came to life. She smiled this is a step towards control. Almost three months of training had amounted to turning on things sometimes against her will. To most people this isn't a major feat but to Klara this was a step towards control. She wasn't stupid she knew SHIELD would find out eventually but she wanted to be stable when they did. As soon as her computer loaded she opened the tab she had pinned _Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters_. They had a summer program like a camp and Klara wanted to apply. She wondered if these kids were on the index, if SHIELD bothered keeping track of them. Most of them probably didn't know about SHIELD and didn't have parents who worked for the agency. So probably not. Why keep track of hundreds of harmless kids? They were just kids maybe some of them were dangerous but they were still just kids. Would SHIELD see her that way? She wondered if they would just see her as another mutant. Something told her they wouldn't, Klara was too close to SHIELD to be ignored. Irina yelled for Klara

"Captain America is on the news!"

Klara shut her laptop and ran downstairs. Bella stumbled down after clearly having been asleep, Klara wondered how uh Irina slept. She never looked tired.

"Stuttgart Germany. Some lunatic crashed a fancy party and stabbed a guy in the eye then he all of a sudden had a weird outfit and told everyone to kneel. The Captain America appeared out of nowhere and that's all anyone knows. Also reports of security guards being found with arrows in their chests. Also Iron Man." Irina recapped.

Klara and Bella turned to each other no longer interested in the news "Arrows like…" they trailed off. Realizing what "compromised" meant.

"He's not a traitor." Bella said quickly.

Klara frowned "Umm he seems to be working with a psycho in a cape."

"There's an explanation." She sad quickly though she couldn't think of one.

"Maybe we'd get one if SHIELD was answering their phones." Irina imputed. Klara turned to her.

"You've been calling to?"

She nodded "Natasha phones me all the time, making sure I'm still alive and haven't tried to kill anyone. It's strange that she stopped."

The girls turned back to the news

"Eye witnesses say a large jet was prepared to fire on the man, a woman inside the jet called "Loki". There has been no confirmation of military interference so it begs the question 'Where did that jet come from?' more after the break." The reporter said before it cut to commercial.

"How much do you want to bet it was our mother in that jet?" Klara said. Bella sighed

"Let's go to bed. We're going into the city tomorrow for some fun. And we're bringing Angie."

Irina tilted her head "Why?"

Bella shrugged "Because I have a real friend now she's coming with us."

Klara headed for the stairs "Whatever." She mumbled.

* * *

**The Next Morning May 4****th**** 2012**

"Anything from SHIELD?" Klara asked as they got into the car. Bella shook her head.

"What are we assuming, I bet aliens." Klara said with a smile. Bella rolled her eyes

"There's no such thing."

Irina looked out the window "With the vastness of the universe it's foolish to believe we're alone."

Klara clucked her tongue "Exactly."

Bella pulled out of the driveway "Whatever. We're are going to assume a massive threat to national security that requires immediate attention."

"So aliens?" Klara joked. Bella nodded and turned her attention to driving. For a few minutes the girls were silent on the way to Angie's home. Klara sighed

"We're not gonna talk about it?"

Bella frowned "What?"

"Arrows in the chests of security guards. Who else uses arrows except out father?"

"Someone you don't know about." Irina offered.

"That's an optimistic thought that I don't believe." Klara said bitterly. Bella took a moment to glare at her sister.

"Don't get upset in the car I don't want it to break."

Klara huffed "Not today."

Irina nodded "Your parents are AWOL be nice."

Everyone fell silent. The silence was thankfully interrupted by the always bubbly Angie who easily struck up a conversation between everyone.

"So where are we going?" she asked. Klara turned "Where are we going?"

Bella smiled "Manhattan."

* * *

Clint awoke to himself in restraints. His world was spinning, images were flashing before his eyes. What had he done? What was going on?

"Clint." It was Natasha. He knew her voice anywhere "You're gonna be alright."

"You know that? Is that what you know?" He said. He wanted to take it back, that wasn't like him. He didn't talk to her like that.

"I've got a window, have to flush him out." Clint muttered. He could do this, it wasn't that hard. "Come back to yourself Clint." He thought. "Think about your kids."

"You've gotta level out it's gonna take time." Natasha said. But he wondered how much time.

"You don't understand. Have you ever had someone take your brain in play? Pull you out, stuff something else in. You know what it's like to be unmade."

Right after he said it Clint regretted it. Of course she did. He'd helped pull her out of it. Now she was returning the favor.

"You know that I do."

Clint sat up "Why am I back? How'd you get him out?"

She smirked "Cognitive recalibration. I hit you really hard on the head."

"Thanks." He said as she took off the restraints. "Tasha, how may agent did I-" she cut him off.

"Don't. Don't do that to yourself Clint. This is Loki, this is monsters and magic and nothing we were ever trained for."

"Loki, he get away?" he asked. "How are the girls?"

"Don't suppose you know where?" she said.

"Didn't need to know. Didn't ask, and the girls?" he asked again, panic growing in his gut. Had something happened to them?

"Haven't spoken to them in a few days. It's been busy. Coulson's down."

Clint froze "What? Did I?" he railed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

Natasha shook her head "Loki."

Clint clenched his jaw "He's gonna make his play soon though, today." He sipped the water Natasha had poured for him. She turned around

"We've got to stop him."

He looked up at her "Yeah, who's we?"

She shrugged "I don't know, whoever's left."

Clint nodded "Well if I." he paused "Put an arrow through Loki's eye socket I'd sleep better I suppose."

Natasha sat down next to him again "Now you sound like you."

He turned to her "But you don't. You're a spy, not a soldier. Now you want to wade into a war, why?" he studied her "What'd Loki do to you?"

"He didn't, just." She looked away from him, down to the floor. "Natasha." He whispered.

"I've been compromised. I got red in my ledger. I'd like to wipe it out."

Natasha remembered her conversation with Loki.

_"Love is for children, I owe him a debt." She'd said. Natasha didn't think he'd know. But maybe Clint talked while we was under Loki's control. Maybe this man playing at being a god knew all her secrets._

_"Tell me, about Barton. We can discuss the children later." Natasha had ignored that. "Talk about yourself, how indebted you are to Clint." She told herself. It was true she still felt like she owed even after years of him saying otherwise. She'd talked and he'd listened._

_"Your world in the balance and you begin for one man. But I bet he means so much to them. What are their names, Klara and Izabella? How is the youngest coping with being the black sheep of the family?"_

_Natasha smirked "You could sympathize with that, couldn't you?" For a moment Loki looked shocked. She paused "Regimes fall every day, I tend not to weep over that I'm Russian. I was."_

_"And what are you now, a loving mother?"_

_Natasha stood up "It's really not that complicated, I've got red in my ledger I'd like to wipe it out."_

_He smiled "But can you? Can you wipe out that much red? Drakov's daughter, Sao Paulo, the hospital fire? Barton told me everything. Obviously. Your ledger is dripping its gushing red and you think saving a man no more virtuous then yourself will change anything? But of course your daughters, using your love for them to feel better about the horrors you've done. This is the basest sentimentality, this is a child, a prayer! Pathetic!" he moved closer towards the glass._

_"You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code. Something that makes up for the horrors. But they are part of you and they will never go way."_

_It wasn't hard to make it look like each word stung, like it was getting to her. Loki was. He hit the glass and Natasha reeled back._

_"I won touch Barton." He hissed "Not until I make him kill you, and your precious children. Slowly, intimately in every way he knows you all fear. And then he'll wake long enough to see his good work and when he screams I'll split his skull!" he growled._

_Natasha turned away. Let him keep talking, let him think he's won._

_"This is my bargain you mewling quim." He said._

_Natasha had no idea what that meant. But she knew what to say next._

_"You're a monster." She said, letting her voice waver enough to make it real._

_He laughed "Oh no, you brought the monster." He stepped back from the glass._

_Natasha suppressed a smile, there it was. Exactly what she wanted. She turned on him._

_"So Banner that's your play?"_

"What did Loki do to you?" Clint had asked. He'd gotten under her skin, something very few have ever been able to do.

* * *

Clint and Natasha exchanged glances in the quinjet.

"Should we call them?" he asked.

"Probably."

Steve yelled up to them "Who are you calling?"

Natasha turned around to him, eyebrows raised "Seriously? You met my youngest."

It took Steve a moment to connect the dots between the young girl who called the Black Widow her mother and the actual Black Widow and Agent Barton. Stark's voice came through the comes

"Wait you two have children? What?"

Clint shut him off and dialed Bella.

"Dad! Oh my god!" Bella said.

"Ask him where the fuck they've been." Kara's voice sounded in the background.

"Aliens are about to invade New York." Natasha said.

Klara gasped "WHAT DID I SAY? I SAID THAT!"

"Umm what's happening?" a voice said that neither Clint nor Natasha recognized.

"Angie shut up." Said Klara. Bella had started hyperventilating.

"Are you in the city?"

"Yep." Stated Irina. "Manhattan."

"Shit." Natasha muttered

"Girls get as far away from Stark tower as you can. Convince as many people as you can to come with you." Clint said. Natasha nudged him

"I think it's too late."

The portal had opened, right over the tower.

* * *

All four girls looked up "This here is some bullshit." Klara said and stood up on the table. They'd decided to sit in a café right next to the tower since Bella was obsessed with Iron Man. Klara didn't know but Angie did.

"EVERYBODY RUN! WE'RE ALL SCREWED!" Everyone looked up at Klara confused and annoyed. But just as she said that glass rained down from the building and none other than Tony Stark had fallen out of it. Bella grabbed Irina and Klara by the arms "We are going. Angie come on!"

But Angie was staring up, the other three girls looked to the skies.

"Aliens." Irina pointed out. Angie stood shell shocked, Bella grabbed her

"WE ARE RUNNING AWAY!"

Soon they each let go of each other's hands that complicated running. People were screaming, the girls could feel thing flying over their heads. Something exploded behind them. Suddenly the idea of aliens was not as exciting for Klara as it was terrifying. But she had to keep calm, if she didn't not only would aliens be attacking but who knows what dastardly effects she could bring to the table. But as she ran just ahead of Bella, Irina and Angie a thought entered her mind

What if she could help?

Klara was trying to make peace with what she'd become, maybe it'd be easier if she knew she could do good. A car flipped in front of her she darted to the left while the others sprinted to the right. Klara stopped and tried to find them in the crowd she called out their names.

"Bella! Irina! Angie!" but her voice was lost with everyone else's. They were running away from the danger like smart people. Klara stopped and people ran around her. Not people, humans. Human beings were running away because there was nothing they could do. But Klara could help, she had enough of a handle on this to so something. Anything would be better ten running away. She took off running towards the danger. But someone screamed her name

"Klara Taylor Barton!"

Klara whipped around, it was Bella. Standing completely still in the chaos. Irina and Angie had kept running, Bell had told them she was going back for Klara. They'd argued but Bella had already stared sprinting away.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Everyone had ran past the girls now, they were alone except for the sounds of destruction around them. The battle waging over their heads.

"I can help!" Klara called out. Her sister stayed where she was, about 20 feet away.

"No you can't! You have no control or idea what you're capable of!"

"But I have to try!" Klara called out, lightning formed in her hand. Bella was furious.

"How deluded are you? You're not a superhero!" she screamed, her voice cracked. She was terrified for her sister. Of what she might end up doing, Klara could seriously hurt someone. Bella was afraid her sister didn't understand that.

"I know! But if I can do something why shouldn't I!?"

"So you can run away! LIKE A NORMAL HUMAN BEING!"

"But I'm not normal. And I'm not human." She spat out the words, the first time she'd said them out loud. It was admitting them, she wasn't human and never really was.

Bella started walking towards her sister "I know that and it scares me half to death because you could hurt somebody! You could kill someone because of it!"

Klara felt her throat tighten "I know that, run away with everyone else. Away from the danger."

Bella swallowed back tears and took off running away from her sister. Klara could take care of herself, she'd have to.


	10. Worlds Getting Weird

**If you haven't seen agents of SHIELD at least season 1 there are references in this chapter that you won't understand. Just heads up cause they'll be important.**

Bella cursed herself, she'd lost Klara. And now she couldn't find Angie or Bella. This was supposed to be fun. Take a day off school to get the mind off of things. But no, alien invasion. She ran with everyone else darting in and out of alleys and away from the action. She couldn't think about anyone or anything. She ran, soon enough smoke was filling her lungs and she couldn't see. Bella wasn't sure what was on fire but she just kept going. She could try calling them, but who'd be answering their phones? Bella kept running, she fell over something. No someone. She screamed and pushed herself away. She backed into a car and stopped. She took the time to pull her hair back and check her phone. Her parents were in New York, with Iron Man she knew that. But who else? They couldn't be taking this on alone but who else as there? Captain America? Maybe. She heard a roar.

"What the fuck?!" she said. She'd been hearing a lot of strange noises but that was new. Bella pushed herself to her feet and took off running. Aliens zipped over her head she screamed and rolled under a car. Unfortunately within seconds the car was off of her and flying through the air. She lay there frozen and the man standing over her held out his hand, he was tall, very well-muscled and had blonde hair about the same length as her mother. She also had to admit he was good looking. A hammer flew into his other hand. She took the one he was holding out for her.

"Get inside, get away." He said he sounded Australian. Bella stood still.

"Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff. They're my parents." She said. Her voice was shaking. He froze

"They're alive, go, get inside." Said another man. Captain America. Bella looked around them.

"There's more coming. Where's your sister."

Bella's eyes burned "She's… I don't know. We lost each other. And our friends." Bella voice wavered then cracked.

"There's more coming." The man with the hammer said again. Bella nodded. Clearly she'd gotten lost because she was not as far away from the action as she thought she would be. Bella took off running into the nearest building.

"Barton, Romanoff. We just met your oldest." Steve said into his com.

"She okay? What about Klara? They weren't together?" Clint asked.

"No, lost each other." Steve said.

"Clint." Natasha chimed in.

"I'll keep my eyes open but Klara's smart she'll have hunkered down somewhere." Clint said.

"Let's hope." Natasha uttered.

* * *

Irina couldn't be more annoyed with Angie. She was being optimistic while freaking out. Irina wanted her to pick an emotion.

"We'll be okay." She uttered through hyperventilation. Irina was sick of it. The two girls had lost Klara then Bella and Angie couldn't stay calm, although for Irina alien invasions were not familiar territory.

"This isn't what I was trained for." She muttered. Referring to both the panicking Angie and the aliens attacking outside. Irina wished she had a gun, a knife, something to help. Klara did, that's where she went.

"What do you mean? Trained for what?!" Angie asked. Irina looked at her in indifference. Where Irina came from fear was weakness and weakness was punished. But that was a normal girl who'd lived an ordinary life.

"Ignore that just calm down you're gonna be fine. This will be over soon and you'll go home." She paused "Call your parents. Just in case."

"They think I'm in school!" she shouted, her breathing if possible quickened. Irina sighed and slapped her in the face, hard. Angie glared at her.

"WHAT THE FUCK! I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU!"

Irina for the first time in a long time smiled "It worked!" she said, in response to Angie's normal paced breathing.

"Call your family." She ordered. Angie nodded.

"You call yours next ok?" She said, her voice cracking. She stepped away to make her call. Irina's smile faded. She didn't have a family. She thought about Klara, Bella, Natasha and Clint. They were lost in this chaos, Irina knew she'd been shutting them out. She never thought she'd regret it. There wasn't anyone to call. She looked outside, Bella would be hiding somewhere but Klara? That girl worried her.

* * *

Klara stood with her back to a wall and her eyes on the street. She was starting to regret this, she could run. But where? She was surrounded by carnage.

"What am I gonna do turn off laptop's at them?" she muttered to herself. This was an awful idea and Klara hoped she lived to regret it. Klara would like to say she wasn't scared but she was terrified out of her mind.

"Why did I do this? I'm the stupidest person alive." She whispered to no one. About a six aliens landed at the top of the block and there were five coming from the other end. Klara had two options

Run away and hope for the best

Run out there, lose control and hope for the best

Neither seemed ideal because both involved being noticed. She took a breath. Klara could feel all the power she had but she had no idea how to use it. There was no one around to help her and no advice she could give to herself. The aliens began shooting into buildings looking for anyone who remained and more flew overhead. But these buildings were empty, everyone inside was either dead or had left like a reasonable person. No one around. As they moved closer to where Klara was hiding she realized she was running out of time. Klara imagined lightning, the kind she'd been making appear in her hands only bigger. She wasn't the guy in a cape flying around pulling it out of the sky. Klara didn't need to summon anything, Klara closed her eyes and imagined a lightning strike then ran out into the street.

* * *

One of the last things Steve expected to see while searching for survivors was a girl passed out in the street surrounded by a 50 foots radius of small fires and damage. She looked unharmed. Black boots, dark jeans, grey top and an army green jacket. But what he noticed first was the hair, blood red. He ran towards her he put his fingers to her neck. Thankfully she was alive.

"Romanoff, Barton I've got your daughter. The young one. Unconscious. She looks fine otherwise."

"Where?" they both asked simultaneously.

"A block east from the tower. I'll bring her inside."

"We'll see you there." Clint said.

Natasha turned to her daughter "How'd you lose Klara?"

"Chaos." Bella lied unconvincingly.

"She ran didn't she, to help?" Clint asked.

"Maybe. I tried to stop her but you know how she is!" Her mother frowned "Have we heard form Irina and Angie?" Bella asked.

"They're both fine." Clint told Bella. Then he turned to Natasha "I'll take Bella to the tower, check out where Rogers found her. Might give a clue what happened." He said and Natasha took off.

"Right well, I say we go for food." Tony butted in. He looked at Bella "I've seen you."

"I hang out in your lobby." Bella muttered. Clint raised his eyebrows at his daughter then shrugged.

"What happened to you? Coulson said you were compromised and on the news in Germany. Arrows, dead people."

Clint looked down at the ground and kept walking "We'll talk later. Irina and Angie are headed back to their houses. Do you have any idea what Klara might have done?"

Bella kicked a piece of ruble, Thor and Tony listened in on the conversation. Clint glared at them.

"Family matter, don't you have a girlfriend to call Stark?"

"Rushmanoff told you about my girlfriend?"

Bella frowned "Did you just combine my mother's name with her cover in your office. You're not as cool in person."

"I flew into that portal, almost died." He said. Clint nudged his daughter.

"You're avoiding the question, I'm not updated on what she can do."

"She can break electrical outlets and turn on the TV. Did the monsters run on electricity?" she whispered

Clint sighed "I don't know. Tasha will find out."

* * *

Natasha stood on top of a warped car and surveyed the damage, it was like individual lightning strikes had hit everything in a 50 foots radius of the centre of the street. Any glass was shattered, cars were flipped telephone poles and wires downed. Chitauri in pieces and the asphalt was burnt. She pulled out her phone and dialed Clint. He picked up immediately.

"It's worse than I thought. She blasted everything within 50 feet of where I guess she was standing. She needs to be on the index."

"Tasha." He said quietly.

"I'll take video and pictures I know what we said, but she's dangerous Clint."

"How bad?"

"I hope no one was around when she was. They'd be killed where they stood. I'm gonna call SHIELD before I get back to the tower arrange to have a profile made and hope I don't get suspended for keeping this from them."

"Without talking to Klara?" Clint asked.

"You know what she'll say, trust me this is for the best. She's not a mutant, we've known that from the start. We just told her that to give her answers and to make her think she might not end up on the list. But if you saw what I as looking at right now you'd know she's a threat and you'd know we need answers."

"Marilyn still has no clue what's going on?" Clint asked.

"She can't run more tests without SHIELD knowing. She has to make records of everything she does in the lab. So no. I sent you pictures."

"Got them, holy shit. Nat that's apocalyptic." He paused. "Yeah SHIELD has to know." He said somberly.

"She's gonna be mad at us all over again. And SHIELD's gonna be up close and personal. This isn't what we wanted for either of them. " Natasha said, doing her best to keep her voice steady.

"We have to tell them about Coulson and me. It's been one hell of a week Nat."

"It's been one hell of a year." She replied sadly.

* * *

Steve walked over to Natasha and Clint as soon as she came in.

"Where's Klara?" they asked, he gestured to an office with a couch in it. The avengers were taking a moment of rest on the second floor of Tony's tower. Bella ran to her sister's side, Natasha and Clint made a move to follow her but he stopped them.

"What I saw around her should have killed her if she was there. What did I see?"

Natasha and Clint exchanged worried glances

"We have a very special daughter Captain." Natasha said and brushed past him, Clint did the same. Bruce came downstairs

"Found some clothes that fit." He said, he looked at office.

"What?" he asked.

"The master assassins have teenagers little one's unconscious."

Thor studied Klara laying on the couch "I actually think she might be taller than the eldest."

Steve nodded "She is, I've met her before. Didn't make the connection until today. Found her in the street."

"Bruce!" Natasha called. He walked inside

"Unconscious?" he asked and knelt next to her. Natasha nodded "She doesn't appear to have any injuries."

"But she's still unconscious." He said and checked her pulse.

"We have some idea why."

Clint sat at his daughter's feet, Bella clutched his arm. Steve, Tony and Thor came and stood in the doorway. Klara groaned.

"Klara." Natasha said.

"Ow. What happened?" she said opening her eyes.

"You tell me!" Bella yelled.

"Oh god that was loud! What's wrong with you?!" Klara yelled back.

"Girls." Clint said. Natasha stared at her daughter.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"What? Right now? I'm kinda hungry. Our lunch never came because aliens attacked. What the fuck was that by the way? Where's Irina and Angie? Where am I?"

Clint looked around "Natasha and I are going to talk to our daughter. Could you all excuse us?" he asked. Bruce frowned.

"I should get a first aid kit and make sure she's alright."

"She's fine." Natasha stated.

"Agent Romanoff your daughter was unconscious. Wasn't she in the street?" He asked, Natasha glanced at the door, he sighed and left. Natasha pulled out her phone.

"Here are some pictures of what you did." she said and handed it to Klara and helped her sit up. Klara looked down at the photos. Catastrophic was the word she would use to describe what she did, any bigger of a blast and she could have brought a building down.

"Not only that but you would have gotten yourself or someone hurt, or worse." Natasha's voice was low and quiet. She was trying to make sure the prying ears outside the room couldn't hear. Klara wished her mother would yell, or her father. But they were steely calm. Klara still didn't know what was going on but at the moment she didn't care.

"I was unaware when aliens invade I'm not supposed to do anything." She said bitterly. Clint nodded

"I get it. You wanted to help."

Bella scoffed "She has no training or control! She's a kid."

"Bella get out." Natasha ordered. Bella huffed and slammed the door as she left.

"I killed a bunch of them. Like 11." She said with false bravado.

"How? What made you pass out?" Natasha asked, sitting down next to her daughter. Klara shrugged.

"I just sort wanted a lightning strike and then there was a lot of light and noise and I passed out. But there were no people I checked! Kind of." She muttered at the end. When she was outside with aliens flying overhead she'd forgotten that being something other than human made her sick to her stomach. Klara felt like vomiting now. She wanted to have normal friends and do ordinary things with ordinary people. Her eyes fell to the floor.

"But it's a step." Natasha said.

"Towards what?" Klara asked.

"Control." Clint stated. "You wanted to cause some damage to the chitauri and that's what you did."

"Chitauri? Whatever, I still passed out and broke everything near me."

"To big too fast." Clint said.

"Everything in 50 foot radius of you looked like it been struck by lightning that lightning came from you. Which means you're dangerous." Natasha said, Klara tried to pick apart every word. Her mother had something to say she just couldn't tell what.

Klara nodded "I know but we can't tell SHIELD not yet. Not until I have a real handle on what I can do."

Clint and Natasha glanced at each other then looked sadly back to Klara.

"No." Klara whispered.

"We decided to tell SHIELD after I saw what you can do. We're setting up your profile tomorrow." Natasha confirmed. Klara didn't say anything. She felt like she'd been punched in the stomach.

"It's for the best Klara, we'll make sure you're handled properly and that you're okay. SHIELD knows how to handle this." Clint tried to reassure his silent daughter.

She jumped to her feet, stumbling slightly. "Really? How many people on that list have you crossed off when they get to dangerous!?" she yelled and bounded out of the room to her sister and the rest of the avengers.

"Klara?" she asked. Clint and Natasha stood behind their daughter.

"They told SHIELD! Now who knows what's gonna happen?! Maybe they put me on a list next to that guy!" she pointed to Bruce "And put me in a cage!" she turned to her parents "What kind of cages does SHIELD have? Can I pick one out of a catalog? I'd like my prison to have a view!" Klara's rough voice cut through the room like a knife.

"No one's gonna put you in a cage." Natasha said.

Bruce frowned, that was the exact same thing she'd said to him in the exact same tone. Bella glowered at her parents.

"What is wrong with you?"

"What's happening right now?" Steve asked. Thor, Bruce and Tony shrugged.

"Bella this is for the best you didn't see what she's capable of."

"Please talk about me like I'm still in the room!" Klara yelled. Steve raised his eyebrows.

"The destruction I found her in, she caused it?"

Klara nodded "Awesome right?!" she said, her voice was dripping in sarcasm. Bella grabbed her sister's arm.

"Umm could you not?" she asked. Bella ignored her.

"I can't believe you would do that! That is bad parenting. She's not hurting anybody. She's not that dangerous."

"I'm sorry Bella what were you saying last night about me being a threat to everyone I'm near, or was that Irina? Or was that me who said that to myself? I can't keep track anymore." She said to her sister, her voice was steady but blood pounded in her ears. Klara wanted to tell herself she was surprised her parents had done this but she couldn't lie to herself.

"You are surprisingly calm about this!" Bella shouted.

"No I'm not but they can't untell it so resistance is futile." Klara muttered.

"I'm going to interrupt the family meeting with why are my lights flickering?" Tony asked. Clint, Natasha and Bella turned to Klara.

"What? I'm upset, I still don't know where I am or what's going on. What did compromised mean? Where's Phil, he'll talk sense into SHIELD and make them leave me alone. I'm his favorite."

"Favorite what?" Bella asked.

"Barton child." Klara said with a smirk. The two girls failed to notice how quiet the room had gotten.

"Girls." Clint said. The two turned to him.

"What?" Bella asked softly, she could tell something had happened to her father. She wanted to know what. What did compromised mean?

"Coulson's dead." Natasha answered.

Every lightbulb in the room shattered and so did the girls. Bella had been on the verge of tears for two days finally lost it and fell into her mother's arms Klara shook her head.

"He doesn't die, he's Phil. He goes on missions and bring home souvenirs, he babysits. Everyone, he is everyone's father. He doesn't die, he doesn't get to kick the bucket. That's not how it works." She said, her voice cracked and wavered with every word. She was still shaking her head, Clint moved to put his hand on his daughters shoulder. A small pop filled the room and Clint yelped and reeled back.

"Klara you shocked me." He said quietly. She looked up.

"I can do that? Sorry." Her bright green eyes were filled with tears, the jagged white lines that zigzagged over her iris glowed in the now dimly lit room. The others were silent out of grief and confusion over what Klara was doing. Klara held out her hand.

"Try again." She muttered. Clint pulled his daughter into a hug, no sparks.

"Steps to control Klara."

She pulled out of his arms and backed away, she glared. But as much as she was trying to look angry there was only one emotion on her face and it was betrayal.

"On a list, with that guy." She said pointing to Bruce who looked away from the teenager. She glanced at Bella who was still crying into Natasha's shoulder.

"You are really bad at staying angry." Klara huffed.

Bella pulled away from her mother "You can't do that without talking to her."

Natasha pointed to the office "We'll finish this conversation in there." She glanced at the three other men watching the family intently.

Klara clenched her jaw and walked inside dragging Bella with her. As soon as the door shut Bella started to yell.

"So you care about your duty to SHIELD to more than her?! MORE ABOUT SOME THREAT LIST THEN YOUR DAUGHTER!?"

"Bella." Clint said "You know it's not like that." He turned to Klara who was staring at the floor.

"Klara?" he asked. She looked up at them.

"Whatever." She sighed and grabbed Bella's hand "We're going home. SHIELD's tomorrow, yeah?"

Natasha nodded "We have to stay."

Klara ignored her mother and walked out the door.

* * *

Clint and Natasha stood outside the restaurant, Stark had forced them to go out to eat and neither of them wanted to go home. They wanted for a moment to pretend everything was fine for their daughters. But their moment of peace ended when Natasha took Clint outside to talk.

"Did we make the wrong call?" Natasha asked.

"With Klara? No. We should have done it months ago, when we found out." He answered.

"We thought we were keeping her safe." Natasha huffed.

"And what were we doing instead?" he asked.

"Trying to keep her normal." She took a breath. "Let's face it Clint we don't want to deal with this. We don't want it to be this way. You wanted to fix her to keep her out of this. But we can't."

"Was it always stupid of us to think either of them would get to lead normal lives?" Clint said. He sat down on the curb and watched the empty street. They were all still in uniform.

"Not stupid, naïve."

Clint gave her a short laugh "Same difference."

She sat down next to him "Maybe not." Natasha gazed around the street.

"Look at this. Tomorrow the God of Thunder takes his adoptive brother back to their realm. And the whole world knows aliens exist. Things are gonna change. Back in February when we found out about Klara, you were already working with the tesseract. You saw this coming."

"They told me it was a door, I told them doors open from both sides." He said.

"You were right about that." She said, smirking.

"Loki had good timing, showed about a minute after I said that."

She ran her hands through her hair "Fate."

He shook his head "No such thing."

"No such thing as aliens." Natasha quipped.

"It was ridiculous to let people believe we were alone in the universe anyway." Clint said.

"But we let them believe it. Nothing uglier than the truth." She said sadly.

"Maybe, but lies have shitty personality and what matters more?" he joked.

"Truth is a matter of circumstance, it isn't all things to all people all the time." She nudged him.

"You say that a lot, usually you finish with 'neither am I'." Clint mocked.

"Whatever Barton." Natasha said with a small smile.

* * *

Klara didn't speak to anyone for the rest of the night, she was exhausted, angry and helpless. Bella had tried to comfort her but Klara just didn't want to talk. Irina had done what she usually did and ignored her. When they met Klara hoped that she'd finally have someone her age to talk to but Irina didn't want to have anything to do with Klara friendship wise. But she was always available to be brutally honest when no one else would. But Klara knew she was adjusting and that she needed space and time so she didn't mind leaving Irina alone. But school hadn't gotten any better and Klara wasn't sure haw that was possible. Was she just that awful? Or was the universe playing a cruel joke and only the teachers knew she existed. She missed her old friends, they'd lost touch and Klara didn't want to fix it. Everything was changing and she hated it. Add insult to injury Coulson was dead. Dead and Klara still had no idea what had happened. Her parents got home late and she refused to see them.

"God knows how Bella is holding up." She muttered to herself as she tried to sleep.

* * *

Bella had spent the whole night trying to get in touch with Angie, Irina had said that she'd been freaking out and Bella wanted, no needed. To make sure she was ok. Angie was Bella's first real friend in a while and she didn't want a horrifying experience to be associated with their relatively new friendship. She was nervous around her, Bella wanted their friendship to work. But she'd never been nervous around people before, not even Kyle who was her boyfriend for almost two years. But as she tried to sleep she remembered one other horrible thing about the day. Phil Coulson was dead. They didn't see him often but he was always there to call about their parents or to sit with them at the base in New York. He was calm and nice and Bella never thought about how much she would miss him if he was gone. She pummelled her pillow, everything was wrong with everything. But still her life was falling into place she got into MIT and would study mechanical engineering and design. She was excited to live on campus, after she got a PHD she wanted to go to SHIELD academy and would eventually work for SHIELD. She had her life figured out and she liked it that way but everything changing, Klara, Phil, aliens and her parents were Avengers. Bella hid under her comforter she wanted to stay there forever.

* * *

**May 5****th**** 2012**

Klara sat crossed legged on the lab table. Marilyn kept glancing over at her.

"So you do some science then I have psych evaluation then a threat evaluation then what? They decide where to stick me? Where are my parents?" she asked quickly. Her words were strung together Marilyn took a moment to figure out what she said.

"Most members of the index go back to their lives just with someone checking up on them every once and a while, your parents are seeing off the tesseract and a pair of gods." She answered, still focused on her laptop. Klara clucked her tongue, she still had no idea what happened. Marilyn look up at Klara who was rubbing the band aid on her arm.

"Klara, I have a lot to tell you and I want you to wait until I'm done to ask questions."

Klara nodded, she was going to try and stay calm. No use breaking things.

"When we told you, you are a mutant, we lied. Your parents and I agreed that it would be a good idea to give you something you could google and learn about and understand. A reason to think you might not end up on the index. I thought you were born the way you are because I took blood in February and compared to blood when you were eight. But the older test I compared your blood to in February was about three weeks after your transplant. So I looked at your tests when you were born and they were normal. Which is what I thought, I would have noticed because your DNA is exponentially different compared to that of a human or mutant. So I revisited the kidnapping when you were eight and there was nothing the red room could have conceivably done to you and then I recalled it looked like you were rejecting the piece of your father's liver you got. But you healed up just fine and we never looked back." She paused. Klara interrupted her.

"Not a mutant, not born with this what's your point? Also I CAN'T BELIVE YOU PEOPLE LIED TO ME. Actually I can, but carry on."

"You got a blood donor upon arriving in the hospital. The donor could've been anyone. Whoever is responsible for that donation wasn't human. Whether or not they knew what their blood could do to somebody is irrelevant. When you were eight years old you got a blood donor that affected you on a molecular level. I won't pretend to understand how this works. My theory is something in the donor blood attacked your cells and DNA, what we thought was your body rejecting you liver was your body fighting off a virus, a contaminant. Your body gave in and the very structure of your DNA changed."

"Contaminant? That's offensive." Klara quipped. Marilyn ignored her comment.

"I'm running your blood tests though our files looking for anything that matches but I'm coming up empty. All I can tell you is that you're something we've never seen before."

"Inhuman." Klara whispered. Marilyn nodded.

"Yes. You're not human. I assume you have questions."

Klara deadpanned "Yes many. But I'll try to only ask ones you can answer. Index, no mutants. Why?"

"They don't want to be involved in SHIELD because they are a group of people with their own rights we abide by that and we leave them alone." Marilyn answered.

What happens to me now? Lock me in this lab, want to do a spinal tap?" Klara joked, but her smile died quickly.

Marilyn shook her head "You get your evaluations then a case worker. Yours is going to be agent Johnathan Garrett. He's a good man and agent. He turned a very troubled teen into one of our best operatives."

Klara smirked "Is that what I am, a very troubled teen?"

Marilyn gave her a sad smile.

"What's he gonna do with me?" Klara asked.

"He's going to help you learn control, acceptance. He's going to make sure you don't become a real threat."

"But after I get tagged like a shark. And I'm already a threat." She waited for Marilyn to say something but she didn't "When do my parents come back? You're a mother, when you and your husband make life altering decisions for your son do you consult him? Isn't that called being a decent parents?" Klara asked rhetorically.

Marilyn shrugged "First of all I got divorced five years ago and full custody so I don't consult my husband and your parents did what they and I think was best."

"How can you have full custody of how old is he like 20? He and Bella should date once she turns 18 in July."

"My son was your age when we got divorces and he has a boyfriend so I doubt he will date your sister. And stop changing the subject I have to get you to your psych evaluation."

"Right. My parents, in your medical opinion are they bad parents?"

"I told you I agree with everything they've done and that I think they're trying their best. They've both been through a lot the past few days, especially your father. Go easy on them."

Klara frowned "My father? What happened? Actually whatever I'll find out. And their best isn't working for me right now."

"No one's perfect." She said. And sent Klara's partially filled out index profile to SHIELD's psychologist.

"Come on. You're pretty calm. I'd be freaking out. Klara I just told you SHIELD has no idea what you are and that you're not human."

"I know. But I decided last night at 2 am that if I refuse to give a shit about anything for a few days I can handle anything you say to me."

"Make sure you say that during your psych eval." Marilyn joked. Klara didn't laugh.

"Who does the threat evaluation?" Klara asked intently.

"Partly the psychologist and partly John Garrett."

"What's he gonna ask?"

"Not sure, it's different for everyone. He'll want to get to know you, you should let him."

They stopped at an unlabelled steel door that Marilyn opened.

"Good luck. I have a meeting with Director Fury." She said and walked away. Klara took a breath and stepped inside.

* * *

"How does Miss Barton's DNA compare to GH. 325?"

Marilyn shifted uneasily on her feet "I haven't checked that yet. I'll get that to you by the end of the day."

"Thank you."

Marilyn nodded "If it was the blood donor and if it was alien that means there was an alien life for on our planet undetected and I doubt they were donating blood to be a Good Samaritan."

"Do you think there could be others?" The Director asked.

"I do, but there's no way to find them. Unfortunately even we can't track someone through a blood bank. Especially if that someone isn't from here. But you're going to try aren't you?"

"I am, dismissed. Agent."

Marilyn nodded and left.

Fury picked up his phone "Agent Garrett, I have a mission for you. I'm going to send you all the information we have on Klara Barton. I want you to find whoever else received blood from the donor she received in 2005."

"Who's the donor?" He asked.

"We don't know, likely alien. Don't keep any of this from Miss Barton. You're her case worker she needs to trust you."

"Alien huh? World's getting weird Fury." Garrett said, unbeknownst to Fury he was smiling.

"Agent, you have no idea." The Director said and hung up. Garrett smirked

"Sure I don't."


	11. Author Note

So this is an author note before I post the next chapter which should be around Friday or Saturday (I've had a busy week) I know exactly what I want to do with Klara as a character but I'm unsure with Bella. And I'd like some feedback as to where you want to see that character go. Please note that I might not use it depends on what it is. And any and all reviews are appreciated (unless its douchebaggery) and I love knowing how people are feeling about what I'm writing. (But I need help with Bella)


	12. Change, change, change

The doctor smiled and gestured for Klara to sit down. He had dark skin, dark hair and kind light brown eyes when he smiled they crinkled. He looked like a nice man which made Klara want to trust him.

"I'm Dr. Mullur but you can call me Neel."

"I assume you know I'm Miss Barton, but you can call me Klara." She said quietly not taking her eyes off of him. When Klara met new people she made a point not to break eye contact first.

"Most people don't introduce themselves to me, or wait for me to break eye contact."

Klara shrugged and to her satisfaction he looked away.

"Trying to make me comfortable? Trust me I know all the tricks." She said confidently.

He nodded "Your parents? Tell me about them."

Klara frowned "Why? You've met them. I assume."

"Briefly, I've read their files to get familiarized with who they are as agents. But I'm asking you about them as parents." He said. His voice was soft and warm, Klara wanted to talk.

"How does confidentiality work?" she asked.

"My assessment goes into your profile but that doesn't include what you've said to me. Everything we talk about stays between us unless I believe you are a danger to someone or yourself." He answered.

"Well I could name several people who think I'm a danger to someone." Klara said bitterly.

"Who?" he asked. Klara rolled her eyes.

"Just the people who are supposed to help and support me all the time like my parents and sister. And Irina but she's Irina." Klara paused "Turned it back to my parents. Clever."

He shook his head "I try not to direct conversation, but I would like to talk about them. How does it feel when they're on mission? I understand you've seen very little of your father since Christmas."

Klara nodded "Yeah he was away more than normal, had something to do with aliens I think."

"Right, but how does it feel when he's away?"

"Not great I guess." Klara huffed.

"Do you worry?" Neel asked.

"What does that matter? It's not like I can do anything about it." She spat.

"So when your parents go on mission you might feel helpless." He questioned. Klara sighed.

"Yeah sure. But they're doing the right thing. Or they're trying."

"They're trying to do the right thing. In the field or by you?"

"I hate psychology." She muttered. He smiled. Klara glared at him "Both."

"So you think the work they do for SHIELD might not be the right thing?"

Klara was taken aback, that wasn't what she expected him to ask. She had to take a moment to think.

"Morally? No. My mother used to be an assassin for the remnants of the KGB. Now she's killing for SHIELD. I don't understand how she thinks one is wiping red from her ledger."

"And you're father?" he asked.

"He just wants to protect people. Also I think at one point he was a mercenary but I was never clear on that." Klara said quickly.

"Does it bother you that your parents have secrets? Things they keep from you."

"Yes." She said as thought it was obvious. "It bothers Bella to. We don't talk about it much but sometimes it's like we don't know them. But it's the nature of their life. We're not all that's in it."

"The nature of their life. You're not exactly happy they're spies are you?" Neel asked.

"Happy? No. But that's just my life. Can't change it." She said. Klara pressed her fingers to the inside of her wrist checking to see of her heartrate was going up. To her surprise it wasn't, it was steady and slow.

"I understand you didn't want anything to do with SHIELD, do you think this whole ordeal will affect your life?"

Klara laughed "Yes! Of course it will. I'm going on a list of people who are monitored and handled by SHIELD. That will definitely affect my life. If this were happening to Bella she wouldn't care, which is annoying. There's nothing she wants more then to join SHIELD."

He nodded "Your sister, let's talk about her."

Klara scoffed "I love her. I'd love her more if she didn't side with our parents about everything. Although she didn't want me on the index so credit where it's due. But she's leaving anyway also she got me kidnapped."

"She is going to University next September. How does that make you feel?"

Klara stared at Neel and shrugged.

"For the first time in your life she won't be a constant."

"I would've thought you would ask about the 'she got me kidnapped' part." Klara quipped.

"That is a story I am familiar with. I understand you and your sister weren't on good terms for a long time after that. But I hear that's changed, what happened?"

"It just blew over. This whole weird gifts thing happened and I had bigger problems than being ticked with my sister."

He nodded "Did you feel like you needed her on your side? You said she agreed with you over not being put on the index."

"Didn't help much." Klara muttered.

"But she is leaving, she's going to MIT I believe."

"Yeah that's what happens when people graduate high school, normally they move out. Why are you dwelling on this?" she asked in a taut voice.

"Because it's change." He said slowly. "In you, your household and your entire world is changing. People thrive on either change or stability. Could you tell me which one you're most comfortable with?"

Klara shrugged "I have to be adaptable."

"Are those your words or your parents? You don't have to be anything." Neel said. Klara focused on his cell phone sitting with the screen facing up on the coffee table. The screen lit up. She smiled smugly.

"I have to be this. I doubt you would say it's healthy to pretend otherwise."

He turned his phone back off "Fair. But that's not what meant."

She tilted her head "Then what did you mean?"

"I meant you don't have to be anything you weren't meant to be. I think if you're not meant to become a SHIELD agent you won't become one."

Klara was silent for a moment thinking over what he said. "So you believe in fate Doctor?"

"I believe there are forces in the universe we don't understand and maybe we never should. After all messing with something we don't understand brought an alien invasion to us didn't it?"

"I guess it did. So, am I a threat?"

"A threat? No. How would you feel about keeping this up? Meeting with me once every week or so. And I would like to talk with your sister." He stood up, Klara did the same.

"You'd have to talk it over with her and my parents. But sure, why not." She stated.

Neel opened the door for her "I see it now."

"What?" Klara asked

"Why people have told me you and your mother are so similar. I didn't before."

"What? Why?"

"Well the liberty of choice in what you become was stolen from both of you. And you've both handled it very well so far, relatively."

"Well blame fate."

He smiled "You're going to use that against me, I can feel it."

"Count on it Doc." She said with a smile.

* * *

"Agent Garret is meeting you in the garage."

Klara let out an exasperated sigh "Right, I've gotta meet that guy."

Agent Jonathan Garrett was standing next to what Klara assumed was his car.

"Hi kid." He said, his voice was gruff but he was smiling at her. He was about the same height as her father, but older and rougher looking. Sometimes when Klara saw agents she would guess what they did, but they're as no guessing with this man. Everything about him screamed field agent. His posture to his haircut to his SHIELD issue combat boots. The same ones Klara as wearing just in a much larger size. Klara wasn't sure how to feel, there was a twist in her gut that said "trouble" but she'd felt like that all day. He was an agent like her parents. She couldn't think of a reason not to trust him.

"Hi agent." She waved.

"Call me Garrett. Hungry? You probably haven't had lunch all the lab work and psych analysis."

Klara nodded "Yeah. Do you know where my parents are?"

"No." he answered and opened the passenger side door for her. Klara climbed into the car and waited until he was inside to reply.

"That's straightforward." She deadpanned.

"More then you're used to I'd guess. Here's something else for you, Fury has made it a mission of mine to track down anyone else who got blood form the same donor as you. That means tracing stuff back to the hospital and donors are anonymous so it's basically impossible and in my opinion redundant but anything for Nick." He said, his voice was brash and sarcastic at the end but Klara didn't mind. He was being honest with her, granted he was probably ordered to be but it felt good to know for sure what somebody was saying.

"He thinks there could be others?"

Garrett turned out of the garage "Seems that way. Who wants to talk about that? We have to get to know each other. What's your favorite food?"

"Pizza." She paused "How long have you been working for SHIELD?"

"Long enough that Fury was my S.O and not my director." He answered.

"Have you worked as a case worker before?" she asked.

"No. First time, you're my test run Klara but I have been a couple agents supervising officer."

Klara thought for a moment then remembered what Marilyn had said in the lab "He turned a very troubled teen into one of our best operatives."

"What very troubled teen did you turn into an operative?" she asked intently.

"Ah, so you've heard the story. Agent Grant Ward, young guy. He's a specialist. Like me and your parents." Garrett said.

"Is a specialist just someone who's really good or does it mean something else?"

"I'm a combat specialist, your mother is an espionage and combat specialist, so is your dad and he's a marksmen. Probably the best one at SHIELD. Just means we're really good at our jobs. You don't ask these questions to your parents?"

"You have to be honest with me so I'm double checking. Where are we going?" she said, gazing out the window.

"Pizza place in Brooklyn, my personal favorite. Traffics not as horrible as usual getting out of here today. Huh." He muttered to himself.

"Should I call my parents and tell them where I am? Does it matter? Oh and there's no traffic because most of the city is hiding indoors because aliens invaded yesterday."

"I don't care call who you want. And does that mean pizza will be closed? Hope not, not like Brooklyn was invaded by aliens"

Klara stared down at her phone, deciding she'd call her sister. School was out today in all of New York so she'd be home. Thankfully Bella picked up on the first ring.

"Hey! Where are you?" she asked

"Going to Brooklyn for pizza with my case worker!" she said with mock enthusiasm.

"I'm that bad?" Garrett jokingly questioned. Klara shushed him.

"How'd everything go?" she asked quietly. There were voices in the background.

"Where are you? And fine. Well no, I'm inhuman."

"What?! - Yeah I know we're watching a movie. I'm talking to my sister! Jessica shut up! Fine I'll go talk in the bathroom." There was a pause and some shuffling

"Hey Im back. I'm just with friends. Angie's friends but they're my friends. A few of them are going to MIT."

"You have friends?!" Klara gasped.

"What do you mean inhuman?" Bella hissed.

"I mean not human what the fuck else could that mean? I'm not a mutant they lied to me."

"That's shitty." Bella muttered.

"My thoughts exactly. Where's mom and dad?"

Bella sighed "I don't know. They're being weird. I talked to them this morning they still aren't telling us what compromised means. Bring back pizza and put it in the fridge."

"I'm not getting you pizza." Klara said bluntly.

"We can get your sister pizza." Garrett said.

"Ha!" Bella shouted.

"Whatever, call me when you hear from mom and dad."

"Yeah I will."

Then Klara hung up.

"I can't believe you agreed to get her pizza." lara said as hey walked into th

"Well you've got to trust me but so does your family."

"Why do I have to trust you?" she asked as they pulled up to the thankfully open pizzeria.

"I'm your case worker It's my job to make decisions regarding your case, you have to trust that I'll make the right one and by extension so do your very lethal parents."

"Hmmm, I trust my sister she gets me kidnapped, I trust my parents they put me on the index, I trust my caseworker? Who knows what could happen. You're the person who can get me killed." She mused.

"Any field officer in SHIELD who's familiar with your case can do that. Sitwell, Hand, Blake. All the other ones and the directors. Also Captain America. I think they're making him a field officer so he could kill you to."

Klara's heart sped up "Comforting." She gazed around making sure she wasn't messing with the electricity in the restaurant.

"I'm just telling you who your enemies are. Who not to trust." He said as he the waitress came over.

"Hey John, good to see you again. Who's this?" she asked her eyes lingered on Klara's eyes. She'd forgotten how weird they must look. No one at school had said anything since she had no friends and teachers didn't want to pry.

"Gina this is Klara, she's my niece." Garret answered with what Klara assumed was an attempt at a sweet smile.

"Hi Gina." Klara said.

"So drink order?"

"I'll stick with water." Garrett said as he picked up a menu.

"Coke." Klara said.

"No problem!"

"Thank you!" Klara chimed.

"That list of people not to trust includes you, field officer/ case worker." She whispered.

"I'd never kill you." He same in the same hushed tone. Klara's hair glinted in the sunlight from the window, making it look like it was on fire.

"Why not?" she questioned "What if I become too much of a threat and need to be eliminated?"

To Klara's surprise she was calm and collected. She was talking about SHIELD killing her but she'd calmed herself down.

"Threats can be very easily considered assets. Just depends on where you're standing."

Klara frowned, there it was again. The twist in her gut "And where are you standing?" she asked.

"When it comes to people like you I'm open minded."

She studied him. The uneasiness was gone, she felt he was telling the truth.

"Good." She stated and leaned back into the booth. Gina brought their drinks.

"Speaking of you, how are you holding up? Must be strange waking up to find you're something else." Garrett said.

"I don't know, might be fun to be SHIELD's newest freak." She said with a smile. The bitter sad edge in her voice was hidden well but not from Garrett.

"Freak? You say it like it's a bad thing."

"It's not great." She muttered.

Garrett shrugged "I guess your opinion is the only one that matters but it's my personal belief that anyone who's more than ordinary should be happy. Ordinary's boring."

"Depends on where you're standing." She said with what was becoming her trademark smirk.

* * *

"This pizza is really good." Bella said through a mouthful.

"Yeah it is." Klara said absentmindedly.

Clint and Natasha came thought the door. Klara debated running upstairs but she stayed where she was.

"How'd you like Garrett?" Clint asked.

"I don't know, he's alright. Good taste in pizzerias, doesn't think I'm a threat. Not a bad dude." She said monotonously.

"He's expressed interest in training you. In a way we are can't cause we're your parents." Clint said. Bella looked up from her food.

"What can he teach her that you guys can't?" she asked, confusion evident in her voice.

"There's a reason Clint and I have never been anyone's S.O. We aren't good teachers." Natasha stated.

"You're both good at some simple self defense and hand to hand, you can both fire a handgun, Klara's gotten good with a bow and knives. Other than that we've haven't taught you much but both of you are fluent in three languages other than English so there's that." Clint said.

"Almost 4. German's coming." Said Bella.

"Pfft. I learned German forever ago." Klara taunted.

"Well you don't speak Italian."

"You're right but my French, German and Russian are really unimpressive compared to Italian. Did I mention I also speak the dumbest language in existence, English?"

"Why do you hate on the English language?" Bella asked.

"Yeah why is that?" Clint agreed.

"Because the pronunciation. Grammar and spelling rules aren't consistent. Right mom? You had to learn it. Where's Irina? She still struggles."

"She's reading." Answered Bella.

"Klara are you interested in being trained by agent Garrett and Bella you're going to see Klara's psychiatrist tomorrow."

"What? Why!?" she asked.

"Tell him I am." Klara said to her father.

"Because." Natasha said to Bella.

"Because why?" Bella pressed.

"Don't do this." Natasha muttered.

Before Bella could say it again out of spite Klara cut her off "What does compromised mean?"

The room fell into uncomfortable silence. Clint sat down on the couch.

"A Norse God mind controlled me into doing his evil bidding Nat hit me on the head now I'm fixed." He sighed. Natasha sat down next him.

Bella was silent.

"That's shit. But silver lining you're still a human."

Bella elbowed her sister, Clint and Natasha for the first time in a while let themselves laugh.

* * *

**May 6****th**** 2012**

Marilyn felt sick, when the director called to see her results he as usual was unreadable but he too was unsettled.

"Those are similar." He stated.

"Shockingly."

"But not the same. Something's different in the DNA. Like a subspecies of GH. but… I don't have any answers. Since this project is off record this stays off of Klara's index file right? Until we understand what's happening?" Fury nodded." Sir, she's not just more than human. She must have completely different biology. Her system has been changing, adapting… no evolving since the donor. Her gifts are just the product of years of change. " she said quickly.

"Thank you Doctor. Send me everything you have then delete what you've got."

"No problem sir." She said and switched off the monitor. Fury had returned to the Helicarrier the night before, she wished she could have shown him in person. Marilyn hated computers.

Fury dialed Garrett.

"Yes?"

"I realize there is no way you can find Klara's donor. Forget I asked you to find them."

"No problem sir. But the kid does want answers." Garrett said, trying his best to sound genuinely concerned.

"Tell her we're looking." Fury ordered, then he hung up.

Garret shook his head "Lies, lies, lies." He muttered.

* * *

Bella wouldn't stop shaking her leg as she waited for the door to open. She knew it was 945 and her appointment was at 10 but who didn't show up to their job early? She was always at school early. Until she had to start driving Klara. The door opened.

"I thought you'd be early." He stated as he sat down. Bella sat up as straight as she could.

"Did Klara say that? That's something she'd say." Bella said quickly. She hated talking about herself or being asked about herself. Writing her university applications had been awful.

"No she didn't mention it. We didn't talk at length about your punctuality." He said calmly.

"Oh. I guess you wouldn't have, yeah." She mumbled.

"So, university. Excited?" he asked.

"Is this a test?"

Neel smiled "It's a question. Moving away from home, that's a big change. How do you feel?"

Bella fidgeted in her seat "Excited, nervous. A lot's changing. More than me going to school. Klara, SHIELD. I feel different."

"Different how?" he asked curiously.

"I don't know. I mean in the past year I've felt guilty most of the time. For siding with my parents about sending Klara away. For making a decision that got her hurt, for breaking up with a boy I never loved. I just felt wrong all the time." She paused and looked up from the floor to Neel "I don't anymore."

He nodded "What's changed in your life? Because that's a good way to feel, no one wants to feel wrong."

"I have new friends. I had the same friends for years but they never felt as rea as these people do. And most of them are going to MIT so I get to build of these relationships. For once Klara's going through something I have no control over, we're getting along better than ever." Bella said with a small smile.

"Why do you think that is? You and your sister getting along better?"

Bella remembered I conversation she had with her mother months ago. "She idolizes you." Natasha had been trying to explain. Klara didn't anymore, months of anger and not speaking and Bella's mistakes changed that. Bella never would have guessed some good came out of the months of fighting between them.

"She doesn't want to be me. She always thought I was perfect and I did some things, made some mistakes that changed that. I think she wanted to go to a different school so that no one would think she'd be like me. Because she knows she can't be me, she always did." Bella said quietly. She's never said any of this out loud.

"And what is it about you she wanted to be?" Neel asked intently.

Bella frowned "I don't know. I think it's just a little sister thing, they idolize you for a bit then realize you're flawed. Am I close?"

Neel said nothing "I don't know Klara well enough to say anything. Tell me about your friends?"

Bella smiled "I'm closest with Angie, we're lab partners. We like the same music and movies. There's Jessica who's pretty high strung but in a good way we both have younger siblings, her brother's in the tenth grade. And Matt is hilarious he always has a joke and his best friend David is really serious and he also wants to be a mechanical engineer so we bond." She said quickly.

"They're all going to MIT?" Neel asked

"Yeah, it's weird that it turned out that way and that they all got in but most of us are doing different programmes. Jess likes chemical, Angie likes biological and Matt wants to do computer science and stuff. I thought about that but I don't like the idea of it as much as mechanical engineering." She said. Bella loved talking about this. Once she'd figured out late last year that she actually hated biology the idea of university was a lot more appealing.

"How are they different from your old friends?"

Bella drummed her fingers on her knee "We have more in common, we're more honest with each other. I'm just closer with them and we haven't even been friends that long."

"But like you said you get to build on these relationships. But how do you feel about moving from home?"

Bella shrugged "I'm not sure. I think they'll be fine…" she trailed off realizing how her family was feeling was not what he was asking "I'll miss them and it'll be hard but I think it's a good thing, me going. I need to start my life, things have started changing and I don't think they're going to stop. I'm going to rethink my desire to join SHIELD. I want to see what happens to Klara."

Neel nodded "Are you worried about your sister? Because you're not responsible for her, siblings are for support and love."

Bella sighed "I know, but however SHIELD handles her could show me if this is something I want to be a part of." She stopped and thought or a moment "you're not responsible for her". She knew he was right, Bella should feel accountable for things out of her control. She was leaving and she couldn't have her own life is she spent her time worried about Klara.

"I work for SHIELD, it's not so bad." He said.

Bella looked back up at him. "I doubt you get to see that many of SHIELD's deep dark secrets." She said bitterly.

"No I suppose I don't. But your parents would. What do you think of that?"

Bella clenched her fists "They're spies. I don't think about it." She said stiffly.

Neel nodded "Ok. I think that's all the time we have. Would you lie to do this again?"

Bella frowned "No. No I wouldn't." she said. She hadn't wanted to come here anyway. Neel stood up and opened the door for her.

"It's been good speaking to you." He said with a kind smile.

"Thanks." She said softly and left the room.

* * *

Klara lay on her bed staring at her ceiling and trying to make the light above her flicker. Bella barged into her room.

"Just got back? Oh and what the hell?"

"I'm not responsible for you." She stated.

Klara sat up "I know that. It's you who didn't know that." She said.

"Yeah but now I know that." Bella explained.

Klara laid back down "Productive session with the shrink, you going back?"

Bella sat down in Klara's desk chair "No. You're letting Garrett train you? That seems very future SHIELD agenty of you."

Klara frowned "I don't know. I'm being forced interact with SHIELD. Might as well get something out of it. And I have superpowers now I'd be a kick ass agent." She joked. Bella didn't smile.

"Bella, I'm kidding. Im finishing the ninth grade I have no idea what I'm gonna do with myself. SHIELD's not going anywhere I can make that decision when I'm older." Klara reassured.

Bella nodded "I thought I knew what I'd want now when I was finishing grade 9." She mused.

"What do you think's gonna happen to me?" Klara asked, her voice wavered. It was hard for to keep a brave face. She was surprised she hadn't broken down in front of anyone yesterday but it was just as hard for her to be vulnerable. Bella moved across the room ad sat next to Klara, putting her arm around her sister who lay her head on Bella's shoulder.

"I don't know. But I think you're strong. You're holding up better than I could I think. I'm gonna be honest I don't think you'll ever get a normal life but I think you'll be able to handle whatever happens to you." She said softly. Tears ran down Klara's cheeks. Bella couldn't remember the last time she'd seen her sister cry.

"You think?" she asked, her voice was surprisingly steady but as rough as always.

"Yeah I do. What do you think is gonna happen to me?" Bella asked with a smile.

"I think you'll be an awesome mechanical engineer one day. And that you're stronger then you give yourself credit for. You let me go the other day. You knew that there was a chance I was stupid and I wouldn't come back but you had the strength to let me go." Klara answered.

"I don't think that's strength Klara, I think that was giving up." Bella said, her voice as cracking now to. She felt her eyes and throat burn.

"I think sometimes strength is knowing when to let something go, knowing when to give up. There's no point in fighting a fight you don't think you can win." Klara said into her sister's shoulder.

"You might change your mind on that one day."

"Girls!" Clint called from downstairs. Klara groaned and wipes her face. Bella was impressed after a moment no one could tell she'd been crying. Then she wondered how often her sister had been upset and no one had ever seen it. The two bounded downstairs after Irina.

Clint and Natasha were sitting next to each other in the living room in a "we have important news" sort of way. The three girls sat across form them, with Irina perched on the sofa's armrest.

"Klara I'm going to guess you are not at all attached to your high school." Natasha said. Klara nodded

"I have no friends and I'm lonely all the time yes." She answered.

"You know there's a different high school in our district and its closer downtown and to the base. If you want to go there next year for a second fresh start you can." Clint said, looking intently at his daughter. She ignored him, Kara was still mad. Irina turned to her.

"I'm starting there to, same grade. Technically I have been going to school." She said. No one asked questions. Klara knew that while she was in the red room she'd been educated up to the end of a grade 9 curriculum.

"Ok, that'd be good actually." Klara answered. Bella smiled at her sister.

"You better try harder with people." She warned.

"Yeah, yeah." Klara muttered. Natasha eyes her youngest daughter.

"You're sure about training with Garrett?" she asked. Klara looked up at her. She couldn't figure out the answer her mother wanted so she went with the truth.

"He wants to teach me and it's not out of feeling obligation." She said and looked accusingly at her parents "Then sure why not?"

Clint nodded "Alright, summers coming. You know what you're doing. We're still doing archery stuff" He said to Klara who nodded. Clint turned to Bella eyebrows raised.

"Packing, studying. Normal." She answered. Irina looked at the family.

"There is some weird subtext in this room. I'm going to brush up on my social skills." She stated bluntly.

Natasha smiled "We could probably all use some of that."

Bella looked down at the floor. Summer's figured out, but what about next year?

**So next chapter is going to jump into September 2012 and sort of go over everything they did over June, July and august. And nothing really happens in the MCU in 2013 other then IM3 at Christmas and the beginning of AOS in September 2013 so probably not a lot of time chapter wise will be spent on most of 2013 just mainly relationships ad characters developing a little and I'm still not 100% sure on what to do with Bella but both girls will got through some emotional hell. No story is good without that. Right? Reviews are as always super appreciated. **


	13. New Year

**I finished season two of agents of SHIELD and can I just say what the fuck. I love all the characters and the end was just such a dick move. Can't wait for season two. **

**TW: MENTION OF SUCIDE**

**September 2 2012**

School for Irina, Klara and Bella started on the fourth. Bella was going to be dropped off at MIT on Labour Day. The summer had been steps forward for all of them. Irina had decided to try and be part of the family and she fit in better then she thought she would have. Better yet Irina was prepared for school, neither Bella nor Klara had seen Irina at her worst so they couldn't tell in the months they'd known her she was the healthiest she'd ever been and getting better. Bella had spent her time studying and building her relationships with her friends. But she had conflicting feelings about Angie, not because she didn't like her as much but she liked her a lot. But Bella had never had a really close friend before and still was making up how to behave as she went along but having a friend felt good. Klara had spent most of her time with Garrett, her parents or Irina. Training was all she did, by the end of the summer Klara was stronger, faster and a better fighter then she'd ever been and was planning on working on it throughout the year. She'd managed to best Irina and Clint once, but she knew he was having an off day and let her win. Klara had grown to, Bella had topped at 5'4 along with Irina but Klara at grown to 5'7. A few inches shorter than her father.  
"It's probably the alien DNA in your system." Irina had said, Klara had never thought about it. No one had ever confirmed alien for her, but that's what everyone was thinking. Bella was annoyed her younger sister had grown even taller but "you're flatter than me so where does it count" Bella would joke. What was never spoken of was her abilities, which had also developed. Klara was happy to say she had control, mostly. Sometimes she went a little overboard on the lightning but exhausting practice with Garrett had helped hone her abilities. "Don't you have a job?" klara asked about once a week  
"this is my job" he replied. Klara knew he was giving up his time to work with her but she couldn't understand why. She'd had also had the pleasure of training with Grant Ward on a few occasions. She liked him, she'd even go far enough to consider him a friend. The one thing weighing in Klara's mind was how lethal she was becoming. She'd been training with a bow with her father, not just shooting but also fighting with one. Garrett had been teaching her how to use the array of deadly weaponry SHIELD had to offer, knives, guns and even a staff. Klara was proud to admit to herself that her marksmanship had impressed Garett and Ward "I didn't think being a near perfect shot was a genetic trait but you got something from your father. Other than your nose." Garrett joked.

"To bad you're so opposed to being an agent." Ward said to her as pummelled the punching bag Ward was holding steady. He was in New York for the day and wanted to see her, Grant hadn't been around since the end of July so Klara was happy to see him.

"Well, I wouldn't say opposed. Not anymore, undecided. I'm not even 16 I don't have to make any decisions." She said.

"Do you trust SHIELD?" he asked. Klara stopped hitting the bag.

"With what?" she asked and started unwrapping her hands.

"Your life." He said. Klara frowned.

"I trust my parents and Garrett with my life. Haven't decided on you yet." She answered.

"But SHIELD as a whole?" he asked. Klara shrugged.

"Do you?"

"That's not your business." He said. Klara couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

"So you can ask me personal questions but I can't ask you any? Unfair." She stated and walked towards the target range.

"Pick something and I won't miss." Klara said. Grant picked up a gun took the magazine out and stood on the mat.

"We all know you can shoot. Take this gun from me. I'll fight back." He said.

"I could just shock you and kill you." Klara offered with a smile. But her heart leapt into her throat, she'd finally figured out how to deliver a non-lethal shock. Like a Taser but only in simulations and never on a real person. She wasn't eager to try.

"Without doing that." Ward said.

Klara rolled her eyes and stepped onto the mat, Ward held the gun out in front of him, pointed at her. She glanced at the gun. They'd fought only once before and when she wasn't very good. He didn't know how she did things. Klara grabbed and ducked under his outstretched arm and kicked the back of his knee. Grant spun around and turned the gun back to her.

"No dice." He said and waited for her next move. Klara grabbed onto his outstretched arm and used it as leverage lift to kick him hard in the chest. Ward twisted away from her, grabbed her arm and flipped her onto her back. Ward then lifted her back up into a choke hold.

"Well I did drop the gun." He said. Klara smiled and threw all her weight back, lifting herself onto the ground and then threw herself forward. Ward's grip on her loosened and she stomped on his foot and elbowed him in the chest. She swung her leg around to knock him off his feet and grabbed the gun, pointing it at his head.

"You let me win." She stated.

"Yes. But you're better than I thought you'd be. With more training one day you might actually beat me or one of your parents." He said getting up.

"I still have the gun." Klara pointed out. "Bang." She said. Pretending to pull the trigger.

"Very funny, we both know you'd never actually shoot me." He said, holding his hand out for the weapon. Klara handed it over.

"If I were in the field how screwed would I be?" she asked.

Ward thought for a moment "Against a cop, security guard or person? You'd do just fine. I could see you going toe to toe with your average mercenary and holding your own. Most agents in anything but the field can't do that."

Klara scoffed "There's no reason for them to learn how to fight."

Ward nodded "Maybe but I have to leave. Do some sparring with Irina." He said.

"Can't, Bella is dragging us both to get haircuts." Klara huffed. She didn't understand why but Irina wanted to go. Klara's hair was halfway down her back she liked it this way.

"Go short but long enough to be pulled back." Ward imputed.

"Did I ask you?" she joked.

"Just a practical idea." Ward stated as he left the room.

* * *

Irina Alkaev had spent the last week looking at pictures of other peoples haircuts online. She'd decided to thin out her hair and have it cut in a lot of layers about an inch below her chin. It'd be different than anything she'd ever had. Her hair had always been long and thick, almost to her waist. When the hairdresser met her she thought Irina dyed her hair the almost white color it was.

"No. Came with my fair skin." She said. Her accent was still thick but she'd always been understandable. As Bella and Klara also got seated in their chairs and discussed what they wanted.

"I'd just like the dead ends off and some more layers." Bella said. Klara rolled her eyes.

"Why don't you do something different with it for once? I Am." she said. Bella frowned

"What are you doing?"

Irina turned to Klara eyebrows raised "Just above my shoulders, it's not in the way but I can still put it up."

Bella narrowed her eyes "You've never had hair above your shoulders if you can help it."

Klara shrugged and followed her hairdresser to the sinks "Trying something new, practical." She said.

Irina sat down next to Klara "Short hair, out of the way." She agreed.

Bella's hairdresser turned to her "Do you want to do something different? You've had this for as long as I've known you." He said.

"What would you do?" she asked gesturing to her hair.

"I'd thin it out, keep it long and add some darker lowlights."

Bella stared at herself in the mirror, why not change it up? She was leaving for university tomorrow. This was a good time to change her haircut.

"Let's do that."

* * *

**September 3 2012**

Bella stood in her half empty room. Most of her clothes, pictures, books and TV series were coming with her. Which took most of the stuff out of her closet and shelves. It was surreal, seeing her room like this. She could see the chip of paint in the wall where she'd slammed into it on her desk chair and knocked over a potted plant and her lamp. She'd shattered the pot and the light bulb and it had taken forever to clean up. She looked into her empty bathroom, she had more unpleasant memories there. One specific thing she never thought about. Her only real big secret. Bella shuddered and sat on her bed. It was still made, she'd gotten a small cheaper duvet for her dorm. Bella didn't know her roommate, she thought it was best to meet somebody new. There was a knock on the door, it was Clint. He looked teary eyes.

"Dad?" she said. He smiled "It's just hard to see this room so empty and I mean you're going and you're gonna start a real life and you'll be an adult soon." He stopped and ran a hand through his hair.

"You have Irina and Klara to keep you busy." Bella said but she was having trouble keeping her voice steady.

"I'm your dad, I'm supposed to protect you and now I have to trust you can do that yourself." He said softly.

"I can dad. It's just university and I'm not even that far away. I'll be back at every holiday and I'll call all the time. You won't miss me that much." She said with a small smile. Clint pulled his daughter into a head and placed a kiss on the side of her head.

"Doubt that Iz." He said. Bella frowned "Don't call me Iz."

"That's all you wanted me to call you when you were eight." He said happily.

"That was ten years ago dad." Bella said sadly. He nodded

"I know, but you're still my little girl, always will be."

Bella sighed "Yeah I know, but I think you've got your hands full with the other two. Are you sure Irina's ready for school?"

Clint nodded "After what she'd been through I think she can take on anything." He said somberly.

"I never understood what happened to her? And where are the other girls? What happened to them?" Bella asked.

"Two of them are living with SHIELD agents, the other two didn't make it. Irina's with us."

"You never explained why they were in the hospital, what they went through, what mom went through."

"Bella." He cut her off "It's not something I can explain and it's not something any of them want to talk about. There's brainwashing and sterilization and addictions. I'm surprised at how well Irina held up. Maybe she wasn't as messed with as the two that commit suicide-"

"They commit suicide?!" she explained. Clint shushed her. "Yes. Your mother, in the first few weeks she was in SHIELD's care she tried, twice. Nat doesn't talk about it and neither should we. We'll never understand." He stopped and stared at the floor "I hope." He added as an afterthought. Bella was silent, she'd assumed things about what her mother had been through but she never thought it had gotten that bad. She stayed quiet. Clint put his arm around his daughter. Natasha materialized in the doorway.

"Can I have a moment?" she asked. Bella nodded, Clint hugged his daughter and left the room.

"Hey mom." She said and made space for her mother to sit next to her on the bed. Natasha sat down and for a moment she was silent.

"I'm sorry." She said, Bella opened her mouth "Don't interrupt. When I joined SHIELD, Clint to. We made a choice. To dedicate ourselves to the cause, to put it before anything else. Having you was a gamble and we did our best to balance it all out to act as parents and as agents. To keep it separate and even once Klara came along I'm not sure how well we did. We haven't been to one PTA meeting, we've missed most school plays and you danced form ages 5 to 10 and I never saw one recital. We've missed birthdays and holidays. I know this was hard on you and I've been meaning to apologize for this for a long time. I know that you're forgiving and that you can say you understand but I also know that it's the reason Klara is so… Klara. I don't say sorry much and this doesn't have to mean anything but I am and so is your father."

Bella gaped for a moment "Where is this coming from? I've always been fine. I know that what you do is important and that it sometimes as to come before other things. Why are you saying this all now? Have you given Klara the same speech?"

Natasha shook her head with a sad smile "You know if I tried that on Klara she'd get angry. There's a reason we never talked about it but SHIELD shouldn't have come before our children and I shouldn't have left this apology so late. You leave for university today, I shouldn't be dumping apologizes for 18 years of bad parenting on you now."

Bella frowned "You're not bad parents. Just different, we don't live like normal people. Mom my dad fights international crime with a bow and arrow, there are two ex KGB assassins in my house and my sister isn't human. We were never going to have it normal." She assured. Natasha shook her head at her daughter.

"I knew you'd make excuses for us. Which is why I'm apologizing to you." She said.

"You want me to repeat that to Klara?" she asked, repulsed by the idea.

"Over the phone, later tonight when you call to tell her about your roommate and your dorm. You two need to have a happy goodbye. You've had a rough year." Natasha stated.

"It's been better, especially since New York. And she'd been happy all summer are you worried about her?" Bella questioned.

"Are you? I know how much you care about her but you understand she'll be okay. You need to focus on you for once, I've seen you do it all summer and I liked seeing you like that. Not bearing weight that isn't your to carry." Natasha said happily.

"I shouldn't worry about, I get that. My whole life can't be about my younger sister. She's growing in to herself, so should I." Bella assured her mother.

"Good. Maybe you'll learn how to have actual fun. But not too much, school comes first."

Bella smirked "I would've thought dad was gonna be the one to say that."

Natasha kissed her daughters cheek "Clint is surprisingly ignorant about youth. And university which is understandable considering he didn't go."

Bella looked at her mother quizzically "What did he do?"

Natasha smirked "His life before SHIELD was a bit of a circus."

* * *

Irina leaned casually on Natasha's SUV. Her hair fluttered in the wind. In front of her on the curb the Barton's said their farewells. She bent to re-tie the laces on her boots, she glanced over at the family. Klara was wearing the same ones so was Clint. Irina smirked she didn't mean to emulate Klara's style of clothing completely but her months of wearing the girls clothes molded what she ended up wearing. Dark, practical and edgy although she wore more shades of dark red and pink, Klara said they didn't go with her blood colored hair. She gazed around the campus, maybe she'd end up in a university like this one day now that she had the choice. This time last year Irina couldn't have dreamt of freedom, she wasn't even capable now she could. Irina could become anything, once she figured out what she liked in school. Her recovery didn't look as gruelling as the other girls had, Irina had taught herself at a young age to look and act stable. Even in her worst months, struggling not to act on the orders still ringing in her head or being unable to sleep for days at a time. She didn't take baths because she didn't trust herself in the water. Irina stood back up and watched another family saying goodbye to their son. Both parents were tearing up and the two younger brother were sobbing. She looked back to the Bartons. Klara and Clint looked a little sad, Natasha look proud of her daughter and Irina was standing 10 feet away next to the car.

"Interesting family dynamic." She muttered. Her accent was still as prominent as ever but she'd learned that she wasn't hard to understand so she'd stopped trying to make it go away. If the red room as looking for her sounding American wasn't going to make it harder for them to find her. Irina often wanted to ask if anyone was working on finding and stopping the organization but she always stopped herself. If she wanted to start a life she couldn't focus on the past, if SHIELD was looking then SHIELD was looking, if not… Irina didn't want to care. Her past was her own to put behind her, SHIELD knew everything she did. The red room would burry itself deeper into the shadows of the world and Irina was okay with that. She didn't think like Natasha, in her opinion the red in her ledger was put there by someone else and the international organization that stood for protection could do its damn job just fine. SHIELD saved her, she trusted it.

* * *

Garrett stopped his car and turned to Grant in the passenger seat.

"What'd you think of Barton's skills?" he asked.

"I think she's holding back. She's had training from two of the world's most lethal assassins her whole life. There's no reason to believe she shouldn't be able to beat me when I'm trying my best which I wasn't today. Especially with how much time you've been spending with her." He paused "And her powers, they're pretty lethal."

Ward shrugged "Haven't seen them."

Garrett smirked "I have, simulations and pictures of the destruction she caused during New York. Everything in a 50 foot radius of the girl struck by lightning. She can stop a man's heart with flick of her wrist and a small bit of electricity."

Grant nodded "Do you think she can restart one?"

Garrett rolled his eyes "Yes, I'm training her to be a walking, talking AED." He paused "She could."

Ward sighed "I'm saying it could be an interrogation method. She just needs more control."

Garrett shook his head "She has it. Barton's claiming not to be afraid of her power but I know she is and she's afraid of how good she's been getting. That fear and uncertainty needs to go."

"And that's why she's holding back?" Ward questioned though he knew the answer.

"Combat comes easy to the kid. It's in her blood. I think it's time to test her, real world scenario." Garratt stated.

"What do you mean?" he asked tentatively. Ward liked Klara, he knew that sometimes Garrett pushed people to hard and tried to make them break. He didn't want that to happen to her, Ward thought Klara was strong, she just needed time to get stronger.

"I have some expendable guys at my disposal, some mercs. I could tell them to subdue her. I could send them after her mugging style all at once. See how it plays out." Garrett explained.

"That could blow I your face." Ward deadpanned.

"Not if I appear right after and explain it's a training protocol. She'd believe me, she trusts me." Garrett said with a laugh.

"I remember you telling me not to trust you. You really are using a different approach with her." Ward mused.

"Have to, she's a smart kid. Tough to, but a little naïve and she's got mixed feelings about SHIELD. She trusts it but she doesn't like it."

"That's a problem?" Ward asked. "Trust can be broken." He stated.

Garrett smiled "I'm counting on it."


	14. AN

Sorry for not updating frequently. I'm taking an online course July and I'll away all of August. For most people the summer is relaxing and they have more time to do things but I always get really busy. I'm also preparing for a move (changing cities) and my mind has been all over the place so it is possible that this doesn't update until September, my life is just really hectic right now.

SO SORRY!


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